From wikipedia:

“Coase coined the well known, but often misquoted adage “If you torture the data long enough, it will confess.” Still kicking at age 98.

Charlotte Twight, Boise State professor, wrote Dependent on DC, which explores some of the same ideas of opportunity costs (transaction costs), etc., as related to political organization.

So, what are we left with now?

Yellow dog journalism?

It’s further complicated by the fact that some fraction (I have no idea what) of dogs killed by police really are a danger to the officer. The danger imposed by a large dog on a person is non-trivial, after all.

I think you’re on to something when you say the occurrences are not as widespread as one might believe. Remember, if it’s reported on the news, it is by definition not the normal course of events, thus the “man bites dog” idea.

Excellent questions and points, Tom. I have raised these same questions and offered a solution about 2 months ago on this very blog.

I suggested a national organization of dog owners dedicated solely to acting as a liaison between dog owners and local police, for the purpose of educating police and dog owners on the issues involved to mitigate the number of incidents where an officer feels justified in shooting.

2 months has gone by, with “puppycide” articles appearing several times a week on this blog, and the only responses to my idea from readers here have been ridicule, dismissal and obliviousness.

I have never owned a dog and apparently I care more about doing something for all dogs and dog owners than they themselves care.

95% of respondents to “puppycide” articles here engage in hand-wringing and teeth-gnashing ad nauseum, posting the same “outraged” comments over and over and over again. It’s so f’en predictable, and such a waste IMO.

Then again, maybe the lack of action on the subject speaks of a false premise. Perhaps if “puppycide” were as rampant as these sensational stories make it seem, such an organization would already exist. Perhaps there is no “puppycide” problem after all.

She didn’t tell me until the cop had left… otherwise I probably wound have wound up in jail that night for verbally abusing a police officer.

we’re on a firetruck helping an ambulance on a call for a guy having a heart attack- the cop’s on the scene to help. As the ambulance is leaving with the patient, the cop says to me, ‘Did you see that? That guy has 3 dogs- city code only allows 2.’ The cop said he was going to address this with his lieutenant. These were small, well-mannered house dogs living in a very well-kept house. I guess the odd part is that he didn’t shoot one of the dogs to help the owner become compliant with the ordinance.

Two months ago, the county dog catcher went into my girlfriend’s back yard and tore down a stack of firewood lining the bottom of her deck. Her dog slept under the deck in this ‘cave’. The dog catcher left her a note that he didn’t feel that was adequate shelter and that the dog didn’t have any water (the dog knocked his dish over). This wasn’t a nuisance dog that doesn’t get attention. He’s in a fenced yard, obviously well cared for.

I was fined for not having current vet-administered vaccines for my 2 labs. I’ve been giving them their vaccines for years and keep the receipts (same meds MUCH cheaper). The county no longer ‘recognizes’ this. Many times, code enforcement officers, cops, etc are driving around looking for violations. With all the ‘no aggressive breeds’ and other laws being passed, dogs aren’t just being assaulted by cops…

My heart goes out to Harley’s family.

“A spokesperson for the police department has stated that there will be no investigation, because the officer was unaware at the time that the infant was restrained in a car seat.”

How does the sentence following (3) affect the elements of the crime? If an animal that is not in an enclosure is tied to a fixed object in a manner that does not endanger any person or animal (including the one that is tied), does that constitute an offense? It wouldn’t satisfy a plain-language reading of all the elements, but if it isn’t an offense the last sentence would seem meaningless.

Perhaps the legislators meant to say something like “An unenclosed animal which is tied to a fixed object shall be presumed to be in danger”, but if that’s what they meant they should have said so.

maybe the dog died of irony

@ Scott #19: I doubt you would live long enough to testify before the grand jury.

“The officer approached me in a threatening manner, and I felt my civil rights and/or physical safety were under immediate threat so I preemptively shot him/her.”

My even darker side fantasizes about a day when the average grand jury would find that sufficient evidence to decline pursuing charges.

Justifications by police for their wanton and depraved behavior usually at bottom amount to “if the police do it, it means that it is not illegal.”

There, he claims the leashed dog, while in its own yard, “attacked” him, so he shot and killed it. The police department now says the officer wasn’t aware that the dog was on a leash.

I’m calling bullshit on this. If I were to do this I’d likely be arrested on a number of charges.

Also, how come this excuse doesn’t work for the bleary eyed guy at 2 AM shooting the cops who very well may have obtained their warrant under dubious or even illegal circumstances?

“I didn’t know they were cops, my ears were ringing from the grenade they lobbed into the house. I couldn’t see them because they were shining flashlights strapped to the ends of their guns. I was half-asleep still in pajama bottoms and a t-shirt.”

Nope, arrested and charged with murder (if one of the macho idiots dies) or attempted murder.

I’m so sick of these bastards getting away with this.

Harn also said that according to city code, an animal is not allowed to be leashed to a “stationary object,” which could endanger the animal or any people.

These cops are douchebags, IMO. If tethering your dog in your backyard qualifies as being a danger to any people then tethering is completely outlawed.

And tethering a dog is not necessarily cruel of bad treatment for a dog. A moderately long tether (say 10 feet) in an area that has shade and where the tether cannot become entangled actually can be better than keeping a dog in a dog run or other enclosure. A 10 foot tether gives the dog an area of over 300 square feet in which to move about. A 10′x10′ run on the other hand will have less than a third that room.

Now if someone tethers a dog in a manner that is dangerous for the dog or the public, then take the dog on those grounds. I’m sure most if not all cities have ordinances about cruel treatment of/dangerous dogs.