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Trigger-happy policing is killing pets — and costing taxpayers

July 23, 2026

Jameson wasn’t armed or dangerous.

The fluffy two-year-old doodle was wearing a blue New York Knicks shirt when he escaped into the hallway of his Los Angeles apartment building while his family celebrated the team’s championship. Seconds later, an LAPD officer fired four shots, killing the beloved pet.

Body-camera footage of the shooting and the family sobbing and hugging Jameson’s lifeless body have sparked national outrage—and deservedly so.

But Jameson is hardly the first family pet to senselessly perish at the hands of law enforcement officers who resort to deadly force far too quickly.

In 2023, a sheriff’s deputy in Missouri picked up a lost 9-year-old Labrador mix named Parker who got loose during a thunderstorm. A neighbor found him and called the police for help finding his family.

Rather than taking Parker to a shelter or attempting to reunite him with his humans, the deputy drove him to a remote area. Body-camera footage later showed the deputy calling Parker over before shooting him, waiting several minutes, shooting him again, and leaving his body in a ditch.

The sheriff’s office even refused to release the damning video of Parker’s death, and a Missouri appeals court recently ruled that constituted a violation of the state’s Sunshine Law.

These aren’t isolated incidents. A Department of Justice estimate suggests that police shoot roughly 10,000 dogs each year, though no national database tracks these incidents.

Like the cases of Jameson and Parker, many of these are avoidable tragedies that are heartbreaking for families and cost animals their lives.

They’re also costing taxpayers a fortune.

Courts have repeatedly held that companion animals are protected property under the Fourth Amendment. When officers unnecessarily kill them, taxpayers often end up paying for unconstitutional conduct.

The settlements tell the story.

In June of this year, a northern Colorado city agreed to pay $675,000 to settle a lawsuit after police shot and paralyzed Herkimer, a healthy 14-month-old family dog who was later euthanized because of his injuries.

Last year, the family of Teddy—a tiny Shih Tzu who was blind and deaf—received a $500,000 settlement after a Missouri officer responding to a loose dog call shot him at close range. Disturbing body-camera footage reportedly showed the officer trying unsuccessfully to catch 13-pound Teddy before shooting him when he wasn’t looking.

In Missouri, police agreed to pay $750,000 after officers raided a family’s home over an unpaid gas bill and shot and killed Kiya, the family’s four-year-old pit bull.

One of the largest payouts for police pet-killing followed the infamous Hells Angels raids in California in 1998. Officers executing search warrants killed three dogs despite knowing beforehand that animals would likely be present and having ample opportunity to plan for non-lethal alternatives. The resulting settlements exceeded $1.8 million.

These lawsuits—like the one filed by Jameson’s family this month—become especially expensive because constitutional litigation often lasts for years, with taxpayers on the hook for not only damages but also substantial attorneys’ fees. Every unnecessary shooting becomes another invoice taxpayers are forced to cover.

And this problem extends well beyond dogs.

My nonprofit, Advancing Law for Animals, secured a $300,000 settlement in 2024 against the Shasta County, California, Sheriff’s Office after deputies seized a little girl’s pet goat named Cedar. Deputies unlawfully confiscated Cedar, who was then slaughtered before his family ever had the chance to challenge the seizure in court.

New York State officials seized and killed P’Nut, the internet-famous squirrel, and Fred the raccoon after raiding a private home. Their family is now suing for damages.

Jameson. Parker. Teddy. Herkimer. Kiya. Cedar. P’Nut. Fred.

Different species. Different agencies. Different states.

The same underlying failure.

When officers needlessly kill harmless pets, they don’t just destroy families—they undermine public confidence in law enforcement itself.

Too many law enforcement agencies devote little time to training officers how to safely handle encounters with animals. Animal control officers and rescuers safely resolve encounters with frightened animals every day using catch poles, barriers, treats, owners’ assistance, and patience. Police departments should learn from them rather than reaching for a firearm.

Law enforcement cannot continue treating companion animals as expendable while violating the Constitution and expecting taxpayers to absorb the financial consequences of poor judgment.

Police departments should require comprehensive animal-handling training before the next Jameson, Parker, or Teddy becomes another avoidable headline—and another costly settlement.

Every unnecessary shot fired at a family pet creates three victims: the animal who dies, the family left grieving, and the taxpayers forced to pay for it.

Vanessa Shakib is an attorney and the co-founder and co-director of the Los Angeles-based non-profit Advancing Law for Animals. She is also an adjunct associate professor of Law at Southwestern Law School.

Orange County Register

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Trigger-happy policing is killing pets — and costing taxpayers

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