Fury as police shoot dead abandoned dog left alone in freezing cold
Officers say they were left with no choice but to kill the German shepherd after it became "increasingly aggressive".
Monday 22 January 2018 21:28, UK
The police shooting of an abandoned dog found tied to a telegraph pole in freezing weather has sparked outrage online.
Officers killed the distressed and elderly German shepherd after it was discovered in a street in Hartlepool on Sunday morning.
In a statement on Cleveland Police's Facebook page, the force said it had been alerted to the animal by Hartlepool Borough Council.
Officers said the canine had been described as "aggressive".
They said they worked with "partner agencies" including the RSPCA, a re-homing charity and vets to try and calm the dog but said the "difficult decision was made to destroy it".
The statement said the dog became "increasingly aggressive as time went on" and that attempts were made to find the animal's owner but they were unsuccessful.
However, Cleveland Police's post attracted more than 1,400 angry reactions and almost 3,000 comments.
"You are a disgrace. Absolutely shameful. The dog was bloody scared you morons," one woman wrote. "What you did is take the easy option and yes it is evident that the easy option was the one you chose. Trigger happy is all you are."
Another wrote: "Poor dog it must have been scared stiff no wonder he was aggressive, it's disgusting they didn't give it a chance."
But a Cleveland Police spokesperson insisted the decision to kill the animal was not "taken lightly".
They said: "This was the very last course of action that we wanted to take.
"All attempts to calm the dog failed. Vets advised that they were unable to sedate the dog due to not being able to approach it and not having equipment to sedate from a distance.
"Unfortunately, veterinary professionals advised that the dog could not be re-homed due to its aggressive behaviour.
"The decision taken, in conjunction with the RSPCA and veterinary professionals, was that the kindest thing to do for the dog would be to destroy it. This has been a difficult decision and one that we had hoped we wouldn't have to make."