The Informant

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Yesterday, Oakland police officers, responding to an accidentally tripped burglar alarm, shot and killed an 11-year-old, arthritic Labrador retriever. The officers left a note for the owners of the dog, saying that the lab had “advanced on officers in a threatening manner.” Besides being a tragedy for the family who owned the dog and a PR nightmare for the Oakland Police Department, folks around the web are pointing out that this is not the first time OPD has encountered an animal that’s met its end by a service pistol:

• Spencer PI points out that in 2009, Oakland police shot a pit bull while searching a home for murder suspects (who were somehow connected to a family friend of the homeowner). The dog suffered severe brain damage and was put down.
• In May of this year, police shot and killed a deer that had found its way into an East Oakland yard (where it seems, the house’s occupants were not aware there was a deer outside). After that incident (which was videotaped), Chief Anthony Batts decided to review OPD’s procedures for responding to such situations. An animal rights group at the time donated $1,500 to OPD for tranquilizer guns.

Nor is it uncommon for animals, wild and domestic, to come into contact with law enforcement, though it seems different local departments treat them differently:

• In July, police shot and killed a rampaging, pregnant dairy cow at the California State Fair. They said the shooting was necessary to maintain public safety, but animal advocates pointed out that the fair had not yet opened for the day when the cow got loose and was killed.
• Zebras loose in a Sacramento suburb in August were rounded up after putting police through a five-hour chase.  One was found in an apartment complex swimming pool; the other was injured by a car.

• In a bit of a role flip, authorities in Mendocino County recently charged a local “bear woman” in what they say was the most severe bear-feeding case they’ve ever seen.

What do OPD’s actions mean on a larger level? Community response seems split. Commenter Yuppicide over at XD Talk expresses surprise that Oakland Police even responded to a burglar alarm at an unoccupied house. Over at the Oakland Tribune, commenters seem to have reached a consensus that OPD needs a bit of training when it comes to handling animals. While at the Chronicle, some folks point out that leaving a door open and setting a burglar alarm is a bit odd. What do you guys think?