A small Missouri town is up in arms after a local police officer shot and killed a blind and deaf dog after he mistook it for a stray.
Little Teddy, a 13-pound Shih Tzu mix, was tragically shot to death in Sturgeon, a town of just 900 people, on Sunday, leaving his owner Nick Hunter enraged.
In images of KOMU When Hunter confronted police officer Myron Woodson, the emotional pet lover said, “Was my dog a threat to you or anyone else?”
Woodson had reportedly been called to the scene to help Teddy after the dog went missing, and initially told Hunter that he believed the dog was an injured stray that needed to be put down.
But in a statement from the city of sturgeonHowever, the story seemed to change, as it was said that Woodson also feared that Teddy was infected with rabies and shot the pet to avoid being bitten.
Teddy, a tiny 13-pound Shih Tzu mix, was tragically shot and killed in Sturgeon, Missouri, on Sunday after a police officer mistook her for a stray dog that needed to be put down.
Sturgeon Police Officer Myron Woodson was seen in the footage explaining that he shot the disabled dog because of its behavior, and the city admitted it “later learned” it was because Teddy was blind.
The shooting unfolded after Teddy reportedly ran into the yard of a neighbor, who said the dog spent about 45 minutes lying in the sun and licking his hand.
The neighbor, who remained anonymous, called the police to finally remove the dog from her yard and find its owner.
But within minutes of Officer Woodson arriving, the police officer shot the dog twice, killing the beloved pet instantly.
Hunter told the Washington Post who found out his five-year-old dog was dead via a phone call, which he said left him “in disbelief.”
“I was shocked, crying, trying to figure out if it was really my dog that an officer had shot or if a mistake had been made,” he said.
The owner added that after meeting the disabled dog, he “instantly fell in love with his happy and playful personality,” adding, “He was so small you could hold him with one hand.”
Hunter told the outlet he was considering legal action over the shooting and was seen in footage confronting Woodson.
‘Was my dog a threat to you or anyone else?’ he said in a shaky voice, bewildered as to how the little deaf and blind dog could have provoked the response.
Woodson responded, “I see a dog walking blindly; I don’t know the dog is blind.”
When he allegedly said he believed Teddy needed to be put down, Hunter asked, “So you’re putting him out of his misery?”
‘What am I supposed to do?’ Woodson responded, pointing out that the small Missouri town does not have animal control.
“I don’t like shooting dogs,” the officer added.
Owner Nick Hunter said he was “in disbelief, shock and crying” after discovering his beloved dog had been shot.
Woodson apologized to Hunter when confronted and insisted, “I don’t enjoy shooting dogs.”
Amid outrage from Sturgeon residents, the city issued two statements, including one insisting the officer “acted within his authority” after reviewing body camera footage.
But locals say they remain concerned about the shooting on a residential street, and the owner of the yard where Teddy was shot sent a letter to the city demanding that Woodson be removed from his duties.
The letter also emphasized that the dog posed no threat and that Woodson fired his gun several times while “neighbor children (in) the side yards were playing and my family within the nearby perimeter.”
The resident added that his 17-year-old daughter witnessed Woodson kill the dog.
In its initial statement the day after the shooting, the city of Sturgeon claimed that Woodson believed Teddy was rabid and feared he would be bitten, even though the officer reportedly did not make these claims at the scene.
‘The SPD officer also noticed that the animal did not have a collar or tags. “The SPD officer made numerous attempts to capture the dog using the capture stick,” the statement added.
‘Based on the behavior exhibited by the dog, believing it to be seriously injured or infected with rabies, and as the officer feared being bitten and infected with rabies, the SPD officer felt his only option was to euthanize the animal. ‘
The city admitted that “it was later learned” that Teddy’s behavior was due to him being blind, and that “the animal’s lack of collar or tags influenced the SPD officer’s decision to euthanize the animal due to his belief of that he was hurt.” sick and abandoned.’
Teddy’s owner added that after meeting the disabled dog, he “instantly fell in love with his happy and playful personality.”
Local resident Regina Adams-Miller said she was outraged after hearing about the incident and was particularly disturbed by the officer who fired his weapon on the quiet residential street.
In a follow-up statement Thursday, the city said it reviewed Woodson’s body camera footage and found that he “acted within his authority based on the information available at the time to protect against potential injury to citizens.”
“In order to better equip officers for future free-roaming animal calls, the city will send all officers to Boone County Animal Control for training and education, in the hopes that this unfortunate situation does not occur again. “added the city.
Local resident Regina Adams-Miller told KOMU she was outraged after hearing about the incident and was particularly disturbed by the officer who fired his weapon on the quiet residential street.
‘What if we had, you know, kids playing outside?’ Adams-Miller said.
‘It’s scary, I don’t think the community feels very safe with him. And I think I can speak honestly for the majority of the community, not for all, but for the majority.”
She continued: ‘If (the officer) is afraid of a little blind and deaf dog, 13 pounds or 12 pounds, what is he going to do, you know, to our community, to our children?’
