Animal lovers' outrage as abandoned dog tied to pole is shot dead by police

An abandoned dog tied to a telegraph pole was shot dead by police sparking outrage from animal lovers.

The dog, believed to be a Caucasian Shepherd, was shot by a marksman after police and the RSPCA officials decided it was the best option.

Onlookers said some people made attempts to stop police from killing the animal after it was found in Hartlepool on Sunday.

Cleveland Police said the decision to shoot the dog “was not taken lightly” and that it was the “very last course of action that we wanted to take”.

But witnesses launched a scathing attack on the force, with one saying officers handled the situation “in the complete wrong way”.

Onlooker Clare Pittman told the Telegraph: “Myself and several others offered to re-home the dog.

“A man who used to be in the navy turned up with a specialised suit and had previous experience with dangerous dogs.

“He offered to deal with the dog but police shut him down."

Another witness told the newspaper officers “handled it [the situation] horribly”.

Police said the dog became increasingly aggressive, and that attempts were made to find its owner before the decision to shoot was taken.

In statement, Cleveland Police said: “Cleveland Police spokesperson said: "The decision to destroy the dog has not been taken lightly and this was the very last course of action that we wanted to take.

"All attempts to calm the dog failed. Vets advised that they were unable to sedate the dog due to not being able to approach it and not having equipment to sedate from a distance. Unfortunately, veterinary professionals advised that the dog could not be re-homed due to its aggressive behaviour.

"The decision taken, in conjunction with the RSPCA and veterinary professionals, was that the kindest thing to do for the dog would be to destroy it. This has been a difficult decision and one that we had hoped we wouldn't have to make."

The RSPCA described the incident as "difficult and destressing".

It said in statement: “This was a difficult and distressing police-led incident with an outcome which no one wanted. We attended to help the police and dog warden and sought independent vet advice to try and find a non-lethal solution.

“The dog had been seen by someone from another charity and there was concern that if the dog escaped she could have hurt someone.

“The police informed us that using a tranquiliser dart on the dog was not an option.

“The RSPCA believes that abandoning any dog is totally unacceptable and in this case had tragic consequences. Any information about who might have done this, please contact the Hartlepool Police, quoting log number CVP/18/011857.”

The Standard has approached Cleveland Police for further comment.