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(Memphis 10/22/09) A woman who rescues dogs wants answers from the Memphis Police Department after officers shot at least one of her pets and the other ran away frightened and possibly injured.
Anna Bolton calls 7 year-old Violet the timid one, and 3 year-old Bing the playful one. That's why she can't understand why anyone would be scared enough to shoot Bing, let alone trained officers with the Memphis Police Department.
Worse yet, when she got the call and rushed home to a swarm of squad cars, "Nobody had told me my animal had been shot... It's shocking and horrifying to come inside and find my dog laying here with bullet wounds."
Blood had pooled in Bing's cage as well as in Violet's, but Violet was gone. Neighbors put up signs across the High Point Terrace neighborhood, not knowing if she too had been shot.
Memphis police say they "shoot to kill" and each officer fired one round. They came for a burglary alarm call. They checked the front, went around the back, and opened the gate. That's when cops say the dogs charged. The police department says the officers were just doing their job but admits the case is a tough one --saying nobody wants to shoot a dog.
"I understand that maybe they felt threatened. My dogs felt threatened that somebody was entering my backyard," says Bolton. "She has never, ever, ever attacked anybody that entered her territory."
Bolton says cops came once before for a tripped alarm and should have known she had pets when they came Thursday morning. Police blame the alarm company, saying they weren't told dogs lived there. Even so, Memphis police are trained to check for signs of pets. Signs, like an invisible fence placard clearly visible in the front yard.
"I just can't believe that this has happened in my own home," she says. "These are good dogs. These are absolutely wonderful dogs. They've never hurt a fly."
It is not uncommon for dogs to bite police, and Bing's shooting is the second family pet shot by Memphis police this week. Bolton thinks the MPD should take a closer look at how it deals with pets. The MPD promises to investigate this case just like any other shooting.
"They did not use wise judgment."
Bolton says she never got an apology from officers on the scene, and bottom line, Violet is still missing.
- MPD called to High Point Terrace home for burglary alarm call
- Police say dogs charged, two officers shot once each
- One dog shot, another missing and possibly injured
(Memphis 10/22/09) A woman who rescues dogs wants answers from the Memphis Police Department after officers shot at least one of her pets and the other ran away frightened and possibly injured.
Anna Bolton calls 7 year-old Violet the timid one, and 3 year-old Bing the playful one. That's why she can't understand why anyone would be scared enough to shoot Bing, let alone trained officers with the Memphis Police Department.
Worse yet, when she got the call and rushed home to a swarm of squad cars, "Nobody had told me my animal had been shot... It's shocking and horrifying to come inside and find my dog laying here with bullet wounds."
Blood had pooled in Bing's cage as well as in Violet's, but Violet was gone. Neighbors put up signs across the High Point Terrace neighborhood, not knowing if she too had been shot.
Memphis police say they "shoot to kill" and each officer fired one round. They came for a burglary alarm call. They checked the front, went around the back, and opened the gate. That's when cops say the dogs charged. The police department says the officers were just doing their job but admits the case is a tough one --saying nobody wants to shoot a dog.
"I understand that maybe they felt threatened. My dogs felt threatened that somebody was entering my backyard," says Bolton. "She has never, ever, ever attacked anybody that entered her territory."
Bolton says cops came once before for a tripped alarm and should have known she had pets when they came Thursday morning. Police blame the alarm company, saying they weren't told dogs lived there. Even so, Memphis police are trained to check for signs of pets. Signs, like an invisible fence placard clearly visible in the front yard.
"I just can't believe that this has happened in my own home," she says. "These are good dogs. These are absolutely wonderful dogs. They've never hurt a fly."
It is not uncommon for dogs to bite police, and Bing's shooting is the second family pet shot by Memphis police this week. Bolton thinks the MPD should take a closer look at how it deals with pets. The MPD promises to investigate this case just like any other shooting.
"They did not use wise judgment."
Bolton says she never got an apology from officers on the scene, and bottom line, Violet is still missing.
