A local news story has been picking up traction around the state. Lodi had an incident involving a loose husky that was sadly tased by police and didn’t make it.
Aline Galeno and her mother Anna Marquez were the owners of the 2-year-old husky named Enzo. Enzo escaped from their front screen door. It was said that Enzo was “attacking kids.” Police and Animal services arrived on scene. KCRA 3 obtained video from multiple angles of the situation from surveillance cameras in the neighborhood. You can see Enzo standing when the officer fires his taser. Another shot you can see Enzo get back up and instantly tased again, with the officer continuing to hold down on the taser. Enzo begins to whimper and is quickly dragged away by animal control. Later reports came back that Enzo was actually not attacking any kids. Many dog owners all over the state are furious with how Lodi PD handled the situation. Lawsuits have been filed and people are wanting the officers removed from the force.
Huskies are notorious for being escape artists but should this situation have been handled differently? Lodi PD made a statement on their instagram saying, “The Lodi Police Department has received several inquiries regarding the incident that occurred on January 24th, in the area of Sandpiper Circle, in which a Taser was deployed on a dog that was reported to have been aggressive. The Taser is designed as a less-lethal option that was used by our Officer in an attempt to stun and temporarily incapacitate the dog, so that our Animal Services Officer could safely get it under control. It is unfortunate and we are saddened by the outcome of this incident. We understand the public outcry regarding the video footage that has been posted on social media, however we would like to remind everyone that this is only a small portion of the overall incident. Our Animal Services Officers and LPD Officers were responding to what was reported to have been an aggressive dog and a threat to public safety. We would like the public to know that there is an internal review that was initiated due to the Taser deployment. In addition there has been a formal complaint filed with our department regarding the incident that is actively being investigated. Due to the formal complaint, no further information can be released at this time pending the outcome of the investigation. We would like to thank the community for their support and patience while we investigate this incident and our employees’ actions.”
What do you think? Should tasers be used on dogs that are intended for grown humans? Is this animal cruelty or were the officers justified? Sound off in the comments.