A Miami-Dade police officer was caught on surveillance cameras fatally shooting an 8-month-old American Bully puppy outside a Northwest Miami-Dade home.
MDPD officers responded to a home Northwest 168th Terrace, near Miami Gardens, just before 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12 over a call regarding dogs barking.
The video footage shows two dogs, a white Maltese and a black American Bully, running out of the home and approaching an officer who immediately drew his gun and asked the homeowners to "grab the dog" in Spanish.
The dogs then run out of the driveway and approach the second officer who is seen waiting by a police cruiser. Moments later, the American Bully walks over to the first officer again, prompting the officer to discharge his weapon six times, striking and killing the dog.
After the shots ring out, the video shows the owners of the pet running out of the house towards the police officer, and the woman begins to scream and cry once she sees the dead dog. Watch the video below:
Animal Rights Activists Claim the Dog Showed No Signs of Aggression
Miami-Dade Police is now conducting an internal investigation into the incident.
Animal rights activists have criticized the incident, arguing that police officers should be better trained in how to handle animals.
"This incident did not have had to happen if the officer had been properly trained. We must do better to protect our 4-legged family members. This 8 month old puppy, Alpha, displayed no aggression and did not deserve to die like this," the Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation said in a statement.
"Our firm has been retained in reference to this incident. We feel heartbroken for Mr. Abraham and his family. And we believe that any police officer should not use deadly force unless absolutely necessary. When the officer has other alternative non-deadly means available to him or her, those should be used first before pulling their weapon," Gregory Moore, the attorney retained by the the owners said in a statement.
This is not the first time a video of a Florida police officer fatally shooting a pet dog has gone viral. In November, a TikTok user shared video footage of the aftermath of an Escambia County Sheriff deputy shooting her pet dog while pursuing a suspect, as previously reported. The dog later had to be put down.
