A Missouri family was left heartbroken after a sheriff’s deputy shot and killed their emotional support dog, a two-year-old chocolate Labrador named Nala.
Dianna Dollins said the officer arrived at her and her husband’s Farmington home on Sunday to ask if they had doorbell camera footage of a robbery that had occurred across the street earlier that day.
But when the officer arrived unannounced on their porch, he encountered Nala, whom the family had recently purchased as an emotional support dog for Dianna’s husband, Scottie, who is recovering from brain tumor surgery. He fired his weapon.
“It’s just devastating, there’s no other words for it,” Dollins told KSDK.
The family now claims the officer should not have been on their property in the first place, pointing out that he did not have a warrant and was not invited onto their property.
Nala, a two-year-old chocolate Labrador who was Scottie Dollins’ emotional support dog, was shot and killed by a sheriff’s deputy on Sunday
They said they didn’t even know the officer was on their property until Scottie heard the shooting, Diana shared in a Facebook post on July 21 written by her husband.
“My husband heard the shots and came running. And there she was,” the couple said, adding that the dog was found on the gravel road with a gunshot wound to her head.
“He had already shot her. He immediately started saying she bit me. He was already back in his car door.”
The St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office now alleges the Labrador bit the officer’s wrist and elbow, causing the officer to fire his weapon.
Sheriff Daniel Bullock said the officer is receiving a rabies shot and alleged the family did not have a current vaccination record for their dog.
The dog was with Scott as he recovered from surgery to remove a brain tumor
They found the dog lying on the gravel driveway with a gunshot wound to his head
The St. Francois County Ambulance District administrator also said an ambulance was dispatched to the Dollins home, but was told at the time that there was no patient at the scene.
Still, the family says Nala “wouldn’t hurt a fly,” and even if she had, it “wasn’t a reason to shoot her.” [their] dog dead.
“She never bit anyone,” Dianna said, while her father, Ronald Widner, noted that “Nala welcomed everyone.
“But they do it by jumping on you and moving their tongue,” he said.
“They greet people that way. I’m sure that’s what happened, and if he has a mark on him, he has a scratch.”
The dog was adopted as emotional support for Scottie, who was recovering from brain tumor surgery, and was considered part of the family.
“Nala was there for him through all of that,” Dianna said. “She slept with us every night.”
The family is trying to get justice for their beloved dog
Nala recently had 10 puppies and was wearing a shock collar that prevented her from leaving the property at the time of the shooting
The family is now demanding justice for their beloved animal, who had recently given birth to ten puppies and was wearing a shock collar that prevented her from leaving the property at the time of the shooting.
“After it happened, there was no remorse,” Dianna said. “It was still ‘I did what I had to do,’ with a bad attitude.”
“I don’t know if he’s a good person or a bad person, but he’s a scared man with a gun,” she added. “And I don’t think we need scared men with guns to protect our country.”
She went on to say that the officer should have turned on his lights or honked his horn to let the family know he was there before arriving at their home.
“That man doesn’t need to have a gun,” Dianna said. “This doesn’t need to happen to anyone else.”
The sheriff’s office is currently investigating the shooting. Sheriff Bullock says his office is awaiting reports from the Farmington Police Department, which has officers responding.