A family in Benton County, Washington, is demanding answers after Benton County Sheriff’s deputies killed their two family dogs earlier this month. Reports say three Rottweilers — belonging to the Swanson family — had escaped from home, only for deputies to later shoot two of them to death on claims that the dogs were being aggressive.
However, after obtaining police body cam footage of the incident, the Swansons believe the deputies purely discriminated their canines based on breed. At the time of the shooting, the dogs were in a field more than 50 yards away from the officers. The upsetting footage of the deputies killing the dogs has since triggered uproar online.
Benton County deputies kill Rottweilers
On Mar. 2, Benton County Sheriff’s deputies responded to reports of three allegedly dangerous Rottweilers on the loose, according to Tri-City Herald News.
As per the news outlet, a resident called the Benton County Canine Shelter, reporting he had encountered three Rottweilers barking at his dogs through a fence. Suspecting the canines were aggressive, the Benton County Canine Shelter reached out to the sheriff’s office for intervention.
A thorough search of the dogs eventually led deputies to a grassy field in an incorporated neighborhood, where the canines were. Body cam footage shows two deputies aiming at the dogs, who are several meters away. The officers then shoot at the canines, killing two on the spot. The third one managed to escape and has since returned home.
Watch the footage below:
“The bad stigma around Rottweilers needs to be erased,” Nicole Hammond, a family friend to the Swansons, told the news outlet. “These are now family dogs. Yes, they are big dogs, but this gives no reason to be shot and killed with zero attempt to be captured safely first.”
The Swansons maintain their dogs had no history of aggression, as per NBC Right Now reporting. Following the fatal shooting, the distraught family is now pursuing justice for the death of their cherished family pets.
Why dogs may act aggressively
It’s worth noting that dogs are not inherently aggressive towards people or other pets. More often than not, a dog develops aggression due to factors that are beyond their control.
For instance, a lack of proper training, lack of socialization, or poor discipline practices, i.e., using punishment instead of positive reinforcement, can lead to a canines becoming aggressive.
