Atlanta Officer Shoots, Kills Family's Dog

ATLANTA --

An Atlanta family is upset they have lost their beloved pet after their dog was shot in a moment of confusion after a security system false alarm.

The Atlanta Police Department has opened up an investigation -- what they call a "firearms review" -- after a local family said their dog was shot by an officer in their own backyard.

Elizabeth Feichter has her dog Molly to play with but not her other dog, Cierra. Cierra was a rescued lab mix and a family pet for six years until she was killed Saturday.

“She was barking because she’s a dog and she barks. But he shot her and killed her instantly,” said Feichter.

Saturday, the Kirkwood home’s alarm went off. A police officer talked with the house-sitter, who was at the home at the time. Then, the officer checked out the fenced backyard.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Linda Stouffer located the police report and the officer described the incident by saying, “The dogs were running at full speed. The first dog had its head down, tail down, and showing its teeth. I fired two shots.”

“She’s a family pet and she was just protecting the house. She didn’t know what was going on and the alarm was going off,” said Feichter.

Feichter feels the officer could have jumped behind the fence if he felt threatened, or stopped the dog another way.

“I just want them to have more training because I don’t want this to happen to somebody else,” she said. “I feel like there are just so many other alternatives. We call them out to protect us and make sure that our family is OK and in the end we lost a dog for no reason.”

Stouffer asked the police about protocol and Atlanta police said every situation is different, but shooting an animal can be justified if the officer feels lives are threatened. The ongoing investigation should reveal if that was the right call in this case.

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