‘Vicious Pit Bull’ Killed By Cop Was Actually A Black Lab

 

Arfie (Courtesy of KREM)
Arfie (Courtesy of KREM)

A black lab, Arfie, was shot and killed Wednesday after a double case of mistaken identity on the part of a Coeur D?Alene, Idaho police officer.

After receiving a call about a suspicious van with a possible child predator inside, the unnamed officer responded to the area to check things out. While looking through the window, KREM reported:

?? the dog lunged out of the open driver’s side window according to Coeur d?Alene Police Department leaders.?

The officer, who had approached the vehicle with gun drawn, shot once and fatally injured the dog, which investigators described as a ?vicious pit bull.?

Craig Jones, the owner of both the vehicle and dog, was not at the vehicle at that time . He was also not the child predator that police were looking for. Also, Jones described Arfie as a black lab not a pit bull.

Craig spoke with KREM and had this to say:

?This still isn’t even real to me? If my dog is barking and wondering who’s peering through the windows he doesn’t care if you’re a cop, an attorney, or President Bush. He doesn’t know any difference.?

Jones described the dog as not having a mean bone in his body.

 
Here’s the thing y?all. I get anyone would want to protect themselves when being attacked by a dog. However, I’m absolutely sick of people blaming a pit bull especially when it wasn’t a pit bull to begin with. It’s upsetting that every time you hear of a dog attack, everyone’s immediate thought goes to a pit bull. I’m biased, and I completely own that right here and right now. You’re welcome to your own opinion, but I have my own, and I will not apologize for it. I’m the owner of a happy six-month-old blue brindle pit bull. Call me stereotypical Southern when it comes to my dog. Any breed is capable of being vicious especially if an owner is encouraging it. You could make the tiniest of Chihuahuas vicious, but you will never hear about it because their capability to do damage is minuscule.

To be sure, I asked Kayla Peacock with Peacock Kennels to take a look at the picture of Arfie and give me her opinion. In the interest?of full disclosure, this is the kennel where my furry baby came from. Here’s what she said:

?I don’t think that’s a pit. It’s just not full lab either, but I don’t see pit in it? It doesn’t look like one at all.?

Obviously, the officer did not have time to check things out, and I get that. If he really had to protect himself, I completely understand. I do question, however, whether a gun was necessary, but it’s what he had readily available in his hand. What I also question is why investigators say this is a pit bull when it so obviously is not. ?No matter what though, let’s not keep encouraging the current feelings of breed discrimination against this breed of dog. All dogs have a wild nature to them. All dogs can attack when provoked or trained to do so. I leave you now with three pictures of very ?vicious? pits that are not very vicious at all.

What are your thoughts on this issue? Let us know at the Liberal America Facebook page!

 

Peacock's Imma Buff Baby
Imma Buff Baby (This is my baby!)
Nasty Honeybadger
Nasty Honeybadger
Booth's Bodacious
Booth’s Bodacious

 

h/t to Gawker.

 

lizLiz Lee considers herself a modern woman of the South and hails from the swamps of South Georgia. She votes along no party line and prefers to look at issues from all angles before taking a stance. She takes particular interest in healthcare issues, mental health issues, and the battle for equality. She is also an emphatic advocate for the end to dog breed discrimination legislation. She is a wife, mother of one human child, mother to one furry American Bully, a college student, and also your typical everyday Wonder Woman. When she hangs up her cape, you can find her curled up in her office sewing, writing, playing World of Warcraft, or practicing banjo. You can follow her on Facebook to see what issue she is tackling.