Missouri Officers Allegedly Shoot Scared Dog, Dump Him in a Ditch

If true, this is horrific. Multiple reports claim that a Missouri's sheriff's department officers found a scared dog on a porch during a storm. They allegedly shot the animal and left it to die in a ditch.

Get our free mobile app

I saw this story shared by Yahoo Life. They say it originated from Dog Time. Both stories say that Stoddard County Sheriff’s Officers were called to a home in Dexter, Missouri regarding the report of a dog on a woman's porch. We now know the dog's name was Parker. She had called the sheriff's office and said the animal was not threatening, but she hoped they could reunite the dog with its owners. That sadly did not happen.

The Dog Time story adds this gruesome outcome:

Officers picked up the dog and took him to Otter Slough Park. There, the officers shot Parker and abandoned his body in a ditch.

The dog's owner Bryan Pennington who had rescued Parker 9 years ago added his version of what happened.

The Yahoo Life story says that the Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney is now involved and has enlisted the help of the Missouri Highway Patrol to investigate this case. It's unclear what if any charges will result, but the outrage this case has caused is understandable.

The reports say that the officers were only following orders and didn't know what to do with the dog. I have to remind myself that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I will add that if the reports are accurate and the Missouri Highway Patrol finds criminal negligence happened in this case, you would think charges would follow for those guilty of this horrific crime.