[anticonformist]

I think police should have better procedures in place to try to prevent shooting dogs. It definitely happens more than it should.

That said, bites are incredibly dangerous and not something to downplay. This is pure ignorance. No infectious disease doctor is likely to agree that dog bites are always a "minor wound." People are hospitalized, lose limbs, and die from infections caused by bites. Puncture wounds should always be treated by a doctor.

Even a small dog can inflict a dangerous wound. Kicking a dog is a good way to get a bitten on the foot. Restraining a dog without injury is extremely difficult.

Police should employ pepper spray against dogs, or maybe there's a better technology available that they should start using.

But, when there is a legitimate case where a police officer reasonably fears that a dog is about to bite them, they should be be free to shoot. This is basic self-defense against great bodily injury. Every American has this right, not just police.

It's on owners to do their best to prevent police from interacting with their unrestrained dogs. That doesn't mean it's always the owners fault if a police officer is forced to shoot a dog. Sometimes it's just a bad situation and no one is really at fault.

[Teever]

This post is hyperbolic.

I have friends who read gas meters for many years. This is a job that involves coming in contact with dogs of all sizes and demeanor.

If a gas company can handle sending some 18 yo kids into thousands of backyards a week to deal with dogs then I'm sure law enforcement officers can be trained to handle dogs with the same outcomes that the gas company sees (no amputations from dog bites to my knowledge.)

[anticonformist]

There is no equivalence between a meter reader and a police officer's situation. Some subset of police interactions may be similar but many will be very different. A police officer's interaction is much more likely to be heated, urgent, close quarters, and unavoidable. A meter reader can just leave if necessary, which is what they do.

For example, police officers frequently have to enter a home during a domestic dispute with a dog that is riled up due to its owners having a physical altercation.

[guiltygods]

"It's on owners to do their best to prevent police from interacting with their unrestrained dogs."

This there is the problem. Why should the general public be afraid of police when on a daily basis their dogs do interact with other professionals and workers?. This is because of fear inculcated by their behavior and there is no recourse later.

[anticonformist]

Police are doing a very different job than any other service worker likely to interact with a dog (as I explained in the other comment).

The general public has very little interaction with police officers at all. A random member of the general public should have approximately zero fear of their dog being shot.

The people having their dogs shot are usually doing something to attract the attention of police and/or not being responsible with the care of their dogs.

In other cases police officers are wrongfully shooting dogs. These are almost certainly the minority of cases but clearly this number should be as close to zero as possible. Police officers should be fired and sued in cases of negligence.