Pregnant Pit Bull Shot And Killed By Deputies Who Entered The Wrong Yard

A pregnant pit bull was shot to death when sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call at the wrong house. Rosaleen Banner lived in a home in the 500 block of Richburn Avenue in La Puente, California, with her pet dog. On the afternoon of Friday, December 5, 2015, Banner heard gunshots. When she went outside to investigate, she discovered her beloved pit bull lying in a spreading pool of blood.

Sheriff’s deputies were in the neighborhood to investigate a disturbance that had been reported to 911, according to CBS News. A man and a woman were reportedly fighting in a residence. However, there was no one in Banner’s back yard except her pregnant pit bull.

The deputies passed through a gate bearing a “Beware of Dog” sign to enter Banner’s back yard. That’s when the pregnant pit bull allegedly attacked. At first, they used pepper spray to attempt to fend off the dog. When that didn’t work, one of the deputies fired a weapon at the animal. Three shots were fired. At least one of them was fatal.

Officials said the female deputy, who was not identified by name, was bitten on the arm. She is expected to recover. Capt. Timothy Marakami with the LA County Sheriff’s Department explained what happened.

“In order to stop the attack, they deployed [pepper] spray which didn’t stop the dog, and when the dog charged again that’s when the deputy actually fired to stop the attack.”

Banner has denied that her pregnant pit bull bit the deputy, noting that the incident could have been avoided if the deputies had not entered the wrong yard. She believes that they may have responded to a prank 911 call. Either way, there was no disturbance at her home, Banner said.

“She was my heart, my baby, she was all I have,” said the devastated dog owner, who explained that the pregnant pit bull was expected to give birth on the very same day that it was killed.

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, a pit bull died tragically earlier this year when it was left in a hot car. There were four dogs locked in the vehicle on a hot summer day as their owner visited his girlfriend in a nearby apartment building. Three of the animals perished at the scene. The fourth was transported to Sacramento County Animal Care’s Bradshaw Animal Shelter. From there, the dog was transferred to a 24-hour veterinary clinic for treatment, where it later expired. Police charged the pit bull owner with misdemeanor animal cruelty, and he was ordered to appear in court.

Comments are welcome. Do you think the sheriff’s deputies were right in shooting and killing the pregnant pit bull?

[Image via morgueFile]