Merced Police Policy Of Taking Injured Animals To Shooting Range Comes Under Fire

[TransitJohn]

Video link: http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=9301258

MERCED (CBS13) — Animal lovers are questioning a policy where Merced Police officers take injured animals out to the police shooting range to kill them.

The penal code has been on the books for decades. Some officers say it’s the most humane thing you can do, while others call it barbaric.

Officers use deadly force to save the lives of others, but what about shooting severely injured dogs or cats found on the street?

According to a California penal code, it’s an officer’s discretion, saying in part:

“…any officer… may, with the approval of his or her immediate superior, humanely destroy any abandoned animal in the field in any case where the animal is too severely injured to move or where a veterinarian is not available and it would be more humane to dispose of the animal.”

“No one wants to see an animal lose its life, but if death is inevitable, and it’s just being prolonged,” said Sacramento County Sgt. Jason Ramos.

He says the sheriff’s department doesn’t have a specific policy for shooting injured animals, but his agency understands why an officer may be forced to.

“Sometimes in the middle of the night you don’t have a vet available, you might be in an extremely rural area. Quite honestly, taking an animal’s life might be the most humane thing to do under those circumstances.”

Policies vary across the state. In Sacramento, officers aren’t allowed to shoot animals.

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/09/12/merced-police-policy-of-taking-injured-animals-to-shooting-range-comes-under-fire

[gopiscrap]

1. cops just love shooting living things don't they?

[Safetykitten]

2. WTF?

[pscot]

3. My granddad said shooting horses was

one of the worst things about being a cop. But that was a long time ago. It sounds like these assholes are doing for fun.

[Catherina]

4. Barbarians.

It's one thing to kill an injured animal on the spot, it's another to take a terrified animal to a shooting range for your target shooting.

[etherealtruth]

5. WTF is wrong with some people?

If the animal needed to be euthanized ... do it on the spot, do not transport the animal to a shooting range for "your' deranged enjoyment

[magical thyme]

6. shoot them on the spot

And they should be trained to do it right.

It is the most humane thing, done right. With horses, it must be at the exact spot, at the exact angle and with at least a 38 caliber.

Anything else is torture and cruelty to animals.

While I expect taking them to a shooting range is not about sport and pleasure, and entirely about safety, transporting an injured and frightened animal is inhumane.

[An_enlightened_soul]

7. 38 Caliber

Did you know that your standard 38 special uses a bullet of approximately the diameter as a 9mm, a .357 Magnum and a .380 auto?

But I agree that if an officer needs to shoot a wounded animal that is either dangerous to the public, or is suffering because of it's injuries, then the officer needs to do so at the location in which the animal has been located (if it can safely be done there).

[magical thyme]

9. I'm a horse person, not a gun person

I only know the UCal has a webpage with exact instructions and diagram. It specifically states 38 cal minimum is required to penetrate the skull. Anything less powerful (or at the wrong angle) will ricochet off. At the wrong spot in the forehead (forget "between the eyes," that is wrong spot) will either not penetrate or will blow up the sinuses and leave you a panic-stricken, fighting for its life horse in agony.

I've heard horror stories when clueless, ignorant assholes tried to "euthanize," failing to kill after dozens of shots. That's why they should be trained to do it right, or not attempt it.

[tularetom]

8. We live on a lightly traveled county road

and the local sheriff won't respond to calls of injured animals. I've shot three dogs that were hit by cars and appeared too badly hurt to be treated and I've taken at least a dozen others that I thought could be saved to the vet that handles county animal control under contract.

A badly injured animal should be euthanized as quickly and humanely as possible. It should never be used as target practice.

[OneGrassRoot]

10. Holy shit.

“Sometimes in the middle of the night you don’t have a vet available, you might be in an extremely rural area. Quite honestly, taking an animal’s life might be the most humane thing to do under those circumstances.”

While sometimes that may be true, I have zero faith that that is the intention here -- to be humane. The potential for extreme abuse is ridiculous.

Sickening.