http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=6197386

Pooch Thwarts His Own Killing in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Reuters) - A Florida man was shot in the arm when a puppy he was trying to kill caused the gun to fire, officials said on Thursday.

Jerry Allen Bradford of Pensacola, Florida, was shooting a litter of seven puppies on Monday when one of the feisty pooches took matters into his own paws, the Escambia County sheriff's office said.

Bradford, 37, told police he shot the dogs because he couldn't find a home for them. Having killed three of seven pups, Bradford was holding a fourth in his left hand, a .38 caliber revolver in his right hand and a fifth puppy in his arms.

The puppies struggled and one hit the trigger. The bullet struck Bradford in the left wrist, according to the police report. Requiring medical attention, Bradford went to the local emergency room, where physicians treated the gunshot wound and notified authorities.

Following his instructions, deputies found the three dead pups in a shallow grave near Bradford's home. The mother and four survivors are now with local animal control officials and will be put up for adoption.

Bradford faces charges of animal cruelty, the sheriff's office said.

The names of the puppies were being withheld. "They are minors," said sheriff spokesman Sgt. Ted Roy. "Even in dog years."

 

I would say the guy got what he deserved.

 

No, if he got what he deserved, he would have been shot in the head.

 

Dog was a good shot with a .38, but too bad it did not shoot lower and get him where he really deserved it. Some people ate just dumb.

 

Animals are euthanized on a daily basis in this country, for a wide range of reasons. If this guy had turned the dogs over to a pound, they would still have been killed (after some official waiting period). The biggest difference would have been that the guy would have had to pay them for it. They were his dogs, and he was taking a responsible course of action.

Cute, cuddly things evoke intense emotional responses, which in turn cause over reaction. This guy may have violated a firearms law or some such, but he did his part to help prevent severe over population in the pet world, and the accompanying starvation and disease.

 

True pchristman, but the needle is much more humane than a bullet. Since you can't do them all with one shot, it's brutal to kill them in front of each other, and the CO2 that humane societies use is even meaner than a bullet in front of your family. It's a bad way to die, but that's the cheapest way to do it. He should have just taken them to the humane society to give them more of a chance of finding a home, as they would have had more exposure there. Too bad so many vets won't euthanize a litter of puppies that's unwanted. Here's the important message: Spay your bitch if you don't want puppies! It's cheaper and very humane.

 

It does seem cold hearted to pop a puppie between the eyes. But I'd be interested in hearing the fate of these particular dogs in a couple of months. If not adopted out I'm sure they will be euthanized as well. However, with the publicity they've received, they could be adopted out pretty quick.