This Must Be Investigated

Police officers in Stockholm shot and killed two dogs yesterday. The police and an ambulance had been called to a place where a man needed medical attention. The man's two dogs, however, would not let any other humans close to their master. The dogs have been described as aggressive and were shot and killed to let the ambulance crew help the man. The man is now treated at a hospital.

I do not believe the dogs were overly aggressive. It is in the nature of dogs to protect their human, especially if they recognise that he is injuried. They should not be shot and killed because they do their duty. Without knowing more than what I have read in a short news article, I believe the big trouble here was that none of the humans who had been called to the place understood dogs. The killing of the dogs must be investigated, hopefully resulting in severe criticism against the shooter.

Dogs are an integral part of human society. They have been part of human society for at least 40,000 years. It is vital that all humans have a basic understanding of dog language and dog behaviour to avoid tragedies like this. This is especially important for law enforcement personell, who are authorised to use force in their line of duty.

I feel sorry for the dogs, and I feel sorry for their human. He may have ended up in a hospital and received vital medical care, but what is it worth to him, when his dogs have been killed?