'Don't Shoot My Dog' bill moves forward, would require more police training
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Seeking to strike a balance between legitimate law enforcement and the desire to protect pets from unnecessary shootings, two Colorado lawmakers have introduced a bill that is moving forward in the state senate.
The bipartisan so-called “Don’t Shoot My Dog” bill would require law enforcement agencies to train officers about dealing with dogs, reports the Denver Post. Sponsored by state Sens. Lucia Guzman, D-Denver, and David Balmer, R-Centennial, it was approved by the senate judiciary committee recently and now will be considered by the full senate.
An earlier Denver Post article provides more details about the bill.
A number of lawsuits have been pursued, in Colorado and elsewhere, about such shootings in recent years, as other ABAJournal.com posts have detailed:
Personal Injury Lawyer’s Golden Retriever Didn’t Die in Vain: Police Shooting Results in New Policy
$65K Award in Dog’s Demise May Be Largest Ever in Colo. for Death of Pet
After Seeing Dashcam Video of Deputy Shooting Family Dog, Jury Awards $620K in Civil Rights Case
Federal Jury Upholds City Police in Civil Rights Case Over Death of Family Dog In Yard of Their Home
Town to pay $51K to settle federal suit over police shooting of dog