TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – An officer with the Toledo Police Department shot but did not kill a dog Sunday at Willys Park. After the shooting, the potentially dangerous and injured animal was left in the public park.
Much of the incident was caught on camera.
According to a police report, the incident started when a woman told an officer about a stray dog sitting near a park bench. When the officer approached the animal, it charged.
“That —- out there shot that dog for no god — reason. And then another one comes with a bigger gun, cause the little gun wasn’t enough to kill the — dog. I’m so god — mad,” a distraught woman who saw the shooting said.
According to the police, the dog ran off into the woods. That is when freelance videographer Aaron Collins arrived on the scene.
“They were there at the park bench, looking for it, but couldn’t find the dog,” Collin said.
Collins said he saw police joined by a dog warden officer search the area for about 20 minutes.
When officers left, Collins took matters into his own hands. He found the dog in just 10 minutes.
“To be fair, it is very thick back there. It was not easy to get through, but it’s kind of their job. You shoot the dog, you make sure you find the dog or do your best to find the dog, had they just walked straight in, they would have seen plenty of blood. They would have been able to find that dog rather quickly,” Collins said.
Collins claims that after about 45 minutes of coaxing, the dog was captured and taken to Lucas County Canine Care and Control.
A representative from the organization said the dog was shot twice and was euthanized due to quality of life concerns.
“To be honest, I was quite angry. I’m an animal lover. That dog was so sweet,” Collins said.
According to officials with the Toledo Police Department, when there is no immediate threat to the community, officers call the dog warden and it is their responsibility to take control of the animal.
In this instance, the officer approached the dog before notifying the dog warden. Additionally, after talking to the woman who told him about the dog, the officer turned off his body video. So, there is no actual footage of the shooting.
As for the dog, LC4 said it had no collar and appeared to be a stray.
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