Dogs are known to be fiercely loyal to their owners.
No matter how big or small, most dogs are willing to defend their human to the death. A bigger, stronger breed may be potentially dangerous or even deadly if trying to protect its owner.
When the Sacramento Police Department responds to a call and a dog or dogs are involved, there is a policy officers have to follow.
"Animals have just as many rights as humans," said Officer Matthew McPhail, spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department. "They're handled the same way."
Sacramento Police policy states officers on duty are prohibited from discharging their firearms or using force on an animal unless it poses imminent risk of death or serious bodily injury to a person.
McPhail said officers aren't permitted to shoot animals, even at the request of a citizen who may want to put an injured or suffering animal out of its misery.
However, law enforcement across the U.S. are faced with entering unknown, risky situations every day. At times, officers don't have too much time to assess a situation, especially when lives are in danger. If officers are approached by a dog while on duty, it's not always easy to tell how a dog will react to strangers, more so if they believe their owner needs protection.
Sometimes, the situation sadly turns deadly for pets.
Earlier this year in Pomona, Calif., a 2-year-old Pit bull was shot to death by a Pomona police officer after getting loose during a homicide investigation. Police alleged the dog had attacked an officer, but the family said their beloved pet was shot because of her breed.
In June, police in Hesperia, Calif. shot and killed an 11-year-old Husky after responding to the wrong house.
In 2013, a YouTube video surfaced showing a police officer fatally shooting a man's dog in Hawthorne, Calif. after the Rottweiler lunged at a group of officers arresting his owner.
How does Sacramento police handle situations where a pet dog is responding with their natural dog instinct?
"Ultimately, it's a gray area," McPhail said. "Officers are given training on how to handle these situations but you can't prepare for everything."
Sacramento police are specifically trained to ligate or eliminate issues with dog encounters, according to McPhail. If police know there's a dog while responding to a call, they ask the owners to put the dog outside or in a different room.
"The reality is you don't know the animal's history, even if it seems friendly." McPhail said.
McPhail explained there are situations where pepper spray is used but it's less effective on dogs than it is on humans. It's a more humane action, but isn't as irritating to a dog.
Sacramento police officers encounter dogs on a daily basis, but according to McPhail, only a handful of dogs are killed by police per year.
"You can't just indiscriminately shoot a dog just because they're mean," McPhail said.
If a situation involving a dog is deemed risky, law enforcement can call for backup from animal service professionals.
Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation works closely with the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.
"The rule is we handle the animal, they handle people," said Janna Haynes, spokesperson for Sacramento County Animal Care and Regulation.
The sheriff's department often calls animal services in situations where they weren't anticipating a dog encounter.
"It's best when trained professionals handle the situation," Haynes said. "For the safety of the dog and for the safety of the officers."
Haynes explained it's best to contain the dog until the situation is over. Animal services is equipped with the right tools to deal with animals.
In situations where a dog is removed from a home because its owner was arrested and there's no one to care for it, the dog is placed in a shelter kennel with a 15 day hold.
"We prefer to give the dog back to family," Haynes said.
The Stockton Police Department also works with animal services to control dog situations.
If there's a known vicious dog, animal control is called, according to Stockton Police Department spokesperson, Officer Joe Silva.
"Obviously if a dog is coming to attack, we have the right to defend ourselves," Silva said.
Silva said officers do their best to communicate with dog owners and ask them to secure their dogs if the animals are out in the front yard or in the house.
He said he knows officers have had to shoot at dogs who posed a threat in the past, but it doesn't happen too often.
"We assess the situation," Silva said. "We assess what the threat is, if there's a threat."
Silva said dog owners should always let officers know if they have dogs and should secure them safely. If a person makes a call for police to come to their home and they have a dog, they should let the dispatcher know.
"The last thing we want to do is harm an animal," Silva said.
