Just when you thought you had heard everything

[Abigail]

Story Here

CHELSEA, Vt. - A prosecutor dropped charges against a woman who was arrested for staring at and making faces at a police dog. After all, the prosecutor reasoned, the four-legged witness can’t testify.

Jayna Hutchinson was about to go on trial this week on charges of cruelty to a police animal and resisting arrest, but the case was dropped Tuesday.

“I think it was going to be difficult to prove her conduct changed the dog’s behavior,” Orange County State’s Attorney Will Porter said. “Most of the time (in harassment cases) people would come tell the court what it felt like. Dogs can’t do that.”

Hmmm, even though this is a legit news story, maybe it belongs in the silly forums.

Edited June 8, 2007 by Abigail

[templelady]

Making faces at a dog????

Okay, I understand the logic that says a criminal killing or maiming a police dog while the dog is "on duty" is the same as injuring any other member of the police force. Logic dictates that the next thing the perp will go after is the human partner.

But making faces??? I'm not sure that making faces should even be called a crime if done toward a human police officer. Some things, while rude and uncalled for, just aren't criminal. Annoying and disrespectful but not criminal. There has to be more to this story, right!? I mean arguing or name calling or something.

Edited June 8, 2007 by templelady

[RottieGrrrl]

I just read this and this doesn't surprise me at all. No offense to you GS owners, but those damn police dogs are annoying. I remember quite distinctly yelling at one to stfu because it was BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARKING at me in it's K9 car when I had stopped at a drugstore to buy smokes.

I mean WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF! WOOF WOOF WOOOF WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOF!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! WOOOF!

Okay I guess you get the picture.

They are so damn arrogant (hmm, the dog takes after the owner?) that it's really hard to like police dogs. But shepherds/ alsatians are cool dogs.

Edited June 9, 2007 by RottieGrrrl

[VeganXTC]

I've heard some pretty awful stories about how K-9 officers train their dogs. If even half of the stories are true, its no wonder police dogs act the way they do.

Its silly to prosecute someone for making faces at a dog. Dogs percieve things differently than people do. If I looked another person in the eye and smiled, they would think I was being friendly, while a dog would think I was wanting to fight by making direct eye contact and showing my teeth. Who knows what kind of faces this woman made, and what the dog thought about it. The woman might have been stupid, but not criminal.

[RottieGrrrl]

vegan Amen! No wonder the case was dropped like a hot potato. Had it been me, I would have called the SPCA and complained.

[excathedra]

when i saw this onein the paper, i laughed