A late-night encounter outside the St. Clair County animal control facility has triggered widespread backlash after sheriff’s Deputies Shoot and Kill Stray Dog that had been brought in from freezing conditions. Body camera footage released this week shows a series of events that began with a deputy being bitten and ended with the animal’s death, raising questions about handling procedures, use of force, and the protocols followed when dealing with distressed animals. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from animal welfare advocates, while the sheriff’s office maintains that deputies acted in the interest of public safety as an internal investigation continues.
St. Clair County Deputies Shoot and Kill Stray Dog
According to the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, the dog was brought to the animal control facility around 8:30 p.m. on December 13 after being found wandering outdoors in frigid weather. A family who encountered the dog transported it to the facility in their SUV, hoping authorities could provide shelter and care. Body camera footage shows a deputy opening the rear hatch of the vehicle to access the animal. As the hatch opened, the dog growled and then bit the deputy, prompting an immediate reaction.
After being bitten, the deputy closed the hatch, called for emergency medical services, and contacted a supervisor. The deputy was later transported to a hospital for treatment. For approximately 30 minutes, the dog remained inside the SUV while deputies waited for additional personnel to arrive. The sheriff’s office has stated that supervisors were called to assist due to the bite and the perceived risk posed by the animal.
When supervisors arrived, deputies attempted to remove the dog using a catch pole, a tool commonly used by animal control and law enforcement to restrain animals from a distance. Footage shows the dog exiting the vehicle and walking briefly before stopping. For a moment, the animal appears to stand relatively still. As deputies continued to guide it with the catch pole, the dog began to struggle, prompting a second deputy to apply another catch pole. The animal then thrashed as deputies attempted to control it and move it toward the building.
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As the struggle continued, the dog fell onto its side. The video shows deputies dragging the animal closer to the facility entrance. The sheriff’s office later stated that deputies determined they could not safely place the dog into a cage. The body camera footage ends before the fatal shots were fired, but authorities confirmed that deputies shot and killed the dog shortly thereafter. At the time of the last official update, the sheriff’s office said efforts were still underway to identify or locate the dog’s owner.
Official Response and Ongoing Investigation
In a statement released following public reaction to the video, St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King described the outcome as regrettable but emphasized safety concerns. He said the deputy involved had been attempting to help the dog and was injured as a result of what the office characterized as aggressive behavior. The sheriff stated that deputies strive to avoid such outcomes whenever possible but that protecting the public and officers remains a top priority.
The sheriff’s office declined to provide further details beyond the written statement, citing an ongoing investigation into the incident. Officials have not publicly addressed specific questions about training, alternative handling methods, or whether animal control personnel were present or consulted during the encounter. The lack of additional commentary has contributed to public frustration, particularly on social media platforms where the body camera footage has been widely shared and scrutinized.
From an administrative standpoint, incidents involving the discharge of a weapon typically trigger internal reviews to assess whether policies and procedures were followed. In this case, the investigation is expected to examine the decision-making process, the use of restraint tools, and whether other options were available once the dog was removed from the vehicle. Until the investigation is complete, the sheriff’s office has maintained that it cannot comment further on the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Public Backlash and Animal Welfare Concerns
The release of the body camera footage has sparked strong reactions from animal welfare advocates, who argue that the situation could have been handled differently. Detroit Animal Welfare Group Director Kelley LaBonty has been among the most vocal critics, saying the deputies escalated the encounter rather than working to calm the animal. According to LaBonty, the dog’s behavior should be viewed through the lens of fear and physical distress rather than aggression.
LaBonty has asserted that the dog was struggling to breathe while restrained by the catch poles and that its thrashing was a response to asphyxiation. She said the animal appeared to lose consciousness before it was shot and described the act of dragging the dog across the cement as further evidence that the animal was in severe distress. In her view, the dog was fighting for its life, not posing an imminent threat that justified lethal force.
She also relayed accounts from the family who found the dog, stating that they told her the animal had not shown signs of aggression while in their care. This discrepancy between the family’s experience and the sheriff’s office description has fueled debate over whether the dog’s actions at the facility were situational, driven by fear, cold, and restraint, rather than an inherent danger to deputies.
Online reaction has been intense, with many commenters questioning why non-lethal alternatives were not pursued. Critics have pointed to the presence of animal control facilities and trained personnel as evidence that other options should have been available. Some have also questioned why the dog was handled by sheriff’s deputies rather than animal control officers from the outset, particularly once the initial bite occurred.
Animal welfare advocates have used the incident to highlight broader concerns about how law enforcement agencies handle animals, especially strays or injured pets. They argue that situations involving frightened animals require specialized training focused on de-escalation and minimizing stress. The use of catch poles, while common, has also been scrutinized, with critics suggesting that improper application can restrict breathing and increase panic.
The backlash has not been limited to advocacy groups. Members of the public have expressed anger and sadness, describing the footage as disturbing and calling for policy changes. Some have demanded transparency from the sheriff’s office and accountability for the decisions made that night. Others have called for independent reviews or oversight when animals are killed by law enforcement.
As the investigation continues, the incident remains a flashpoint in discussions about public safety, animal welfare, and law enforcement responsibility. The outcome of the review may influence future protocols in St. Clair County and potentially shape how similar incidents are handled elsewhere. For now, the death of the stray dog has become a focal example of the tensions that can arise when law enforcement encounters animals in distress, and the scrutiny surrounding the case shows little sign of fading.