VACAVILLE CANINE OFFICER ANIMAL ABUSE

 

Little dog and police officer is beating him????

There is NO EXCUSE FOR THIS!

Update:

We wanted to update our community with the following:

*The canine involved in this incident has been removed from the care of his handler

*The canine has been examined at a Veterinarian office and shows no sign of distress or injury

*The canine has been placed in the care of a third party outside of the Vacaville Police Department pending a thorough and complete investigation into the incident.

*A third party trainer will be consulted during the evaluation process of the incident.

Any Information to 707.449.5333

Original Post:

Yesterday evening a video surfaced of an interaction between one of our officers and his canine partner during training. We understand how disturbing the video appears to many who view it and the range of emotions it creates. What the video doesn’t show is the moments prior, when the canine became aggressive towards his handler. We want to assure the public this incident is being evaluated in its entirety and will be investigated appropriately.

Our canine program is, and always has been an incredibly vital and important part of our policing. Entrusted with a difficult job, we rely on them to respond with precise skill leaving very little room for misjudgments. When we stray from this expectation, we are left vulnerable to an animal making decisions that could impact our communities safety. This underscored the importance of training and the value of a police dog responding appropriately to his handler in a given situation.

Although our canines appear to be pets, just like the ones we all have at home; they are quite different in many ways. If left unguided by a handler, the decisions they make could lead to the injury of the dog, an officer or an innocent community member. All training programs are not alike and need to be tailored to the needs of the specific dog and handler. This is generally achieved by a careful balance of physical discipline and reward based training. As with any training program, we are constantly evaluating our policies and procedures for needed improvement. We are still collecting all the information as it pertains to this incident for the purposes of that evaluation.

We want to assure our community that our canine program is one of the most loved in our department. Our four legged partners are far more than just a tool, they are a member of our PD family. For the many thousands of people we have met at demonstrations, school functions, church gatherings and other events; you have witnessed this love and devotion, and the incredible bond our canine teams share.

We appreciate your patience, understanding and grace as we navigate this incident.