Several people from Ambridge contacted Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 Friday after learning that a dog had been shot and killed in the parking lot of the Ambridge Borough Police Department.As word traveled fast on Facebook, the department took to the social media site to provide its version of events, ultimately admitting that a police officer had shot and killed the dog.The post revealed that officers retrieved the dog, a female pitbull Mastiff, Friday morning after a resident found the dog with no tags.Police said an officer then took the dog back to the station to be checked with a chip reader, but no chip was found. Officers then placed the dog inside an outdoor kennel at the department.An earlier Facebook post, that has since been deleted, called the dog “a pleasant pup” and observed that it appeared the dog had recently delivered puppies. Police said that post was made in an attempt to get in contact with an owner, to no avail.Police said as an officer opened the door to the kennel in an attempt to take her to the Beaver County Humane Society, the dog “immediately became aggressive and attempted to bite the officer in the hand.” The post claimed that the dog then bit the officer on his left knee, before being closed back inside the kennel.A second attempt to lure the dog out safely also failed, according to police.Police said when officers came back outside, the dog “somehow escaped the kennel and was running loose around the parking lot” of the department. When officers tried to catch the dog, they said, she charged at one of the officers and “got within arms reach of the officer and lunged to attack him.”Police said the officer “had no choice at the time but to dispatch the dog with his service pistol.”The post goes on to claim that after covering the dog up with cardboard, officers noticed the dog was still breathing. Police said after consulting with local veterinarians at the Beaver County Humane Society, “it was determined that it was best to put the dog down on scene.”Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 called the Beaver County Humane Society Friday night.In a text message, Alison Yazer, the executive director at BCHS, wrote the following:”Ambridge does not have an animal control contract with Beaver County Humane Society. The Ambridge Police Department only reached out to BCHS after the dog had been shot. While we are obviously saddened by the outcome of this situation, police officers have the right to defend themselves in a dangerous situation.”
As word traveled fast on Facebook, the department took to the social media site to provide its version of events, ultimately admitting that a police officer had shot and killed the dog.
The post revealed that officers retrieved the dog, a female pitbull Mastiff, Friday morning after a resident found the dog with no tags.
Police said an officer then took the dog back to the station to be checked with a chip reader, but no chip was found. Officers then placed the dog inside an outdoor kennel at the department.
An earlier Facebook post, that has since been deleted, called the dog “a pleasant pup” and observed that it appeared the dog had recently delivered puppies. Police said that post was made in an attempt to get in contact with an owner, to no avail.
Police said as an officer opened the door to the kennel in an attempt to take her to the Beaver County Humane Society, the dog “immediately became aggressive and attempted to bite the officer in the hand.” The post claimed that the dog then bit the officer on his left knee, before being closed back inside the kennel.
A second attempt to lure the dog out safely also failed, according to police.
Police said when officers came back outside, the dog “somehow escaped the kennel and was running loose around the parking lot” of the department. When officers tried to catch the dog, they said, she charged at one of the officers and “got within arms reach of the officer and lunged to attack him.”
Police said the officer “had no choice at the time but to dispatch the dog with his service pistol.
The post goes on to claim that after covering the dog up with cardboard, officers noticed the dog was still breathing. Police said after consulting with local veterinarians at the Beaver County Humane Society, “it was determined that it was best to put the dog down on scene.”
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 called the Beaver County Humane Society Friday night.
In a text message, Alison Yazer, the executive director at BCHS, wrote the following:
Ambridge does not have an animal control contract with Beaver County Humane Society. The Ambridge Police Department only reached out to BCHS after the dog had been shot. While we are obviously saddened by the outcome of this situation, police officers have the right to defend themselves in a dangerous situation.”
