Quote Originally Posted by wolfy-hound View Post
The cops had a warrant which does indeed "allow them" to go barging in. That's what warrants do.. otherwise, cops would have to stand politely outside a suspect's home and hope he decided to come out nicely.
When the cops went in, if the two mastiffs were behaving in a aggressive manner, yes the cops are within their rights to shoot the dogs. While a lot of mastiffs are big sweethearts, some are protective, especially when a group of strangers comes running in. Again, the cops can't just say "Well, there's a couple 200 lb dogs here, we can't go get the guy we're arresting."
Not having been there, or seen video tape explicitly showing the confrontation, I can't say whether the cops panicked and shot the dogs or did so only when they felt truly threatened, but they do have that right to protect themselves when they are serving a warrant in the process of their sworn duties.

Whether the warrant was justified only falls on the judge and accusers, not the cops.

I believe the place they found all the animals was more than one story, so it's possible the alligator and the dogs were on seperate areas, with the alligator contained in some manner to a certain room or rooms.
Thank you for that post. Everyone is crying and blaming the cops for killing those dogs and what they fail to see is they were not there and have no clue what happened. I've worked in narcotics control and have been charged at several times by dogs that were "total sweethearts" and I've been bitten before. If a dog charges you and you feel threatened human nature is to react, not wait and see if it's simply running up to lick you. Since I do really care about animals my first instinct is to reach for pepper foam, but I can't say that's always the case.

This whole thing is a terrible, terrible event and I do hope the facts get sorted out in the end. I can say that I am willing to bet my pay check there are MANY, MANY facts, charges and claims the general public has no knowledge of in this case.