Stun Gun Used on Aggressive Pit Bull

In November 2009, a police officer used his stun gun to subdue a pit bull in Tampa, FL. While on the scene of a suspected domestic dispute, the officer observed a pit bull chasing a chicken into a neighboring home. When the officer entered the home, he encountered a 19-year-old woman who stated her concern that the dog would turn from attacking the chicken it was chasing and attack her 2-year-old son instead.

The officer chased the dog from the home and into the backyard, but the dog proceeded to attack another chicken. When the dog continued to pursue the chickens in the backyard, the officer opted to discharge his stun gun in order to protect the resident’s property. The dog was immediately subdued.

Once the dog was stunned, the officer was able to safely transfer the animal into his vehicle. The animal was taken by the Hillsborough County Animal Service. A report was filed by the officer because he had discharged his stun gun.

While pit bulls may have a somewhat unfair reputation, they are dogs that were bred to aggressively hunt down and kill vermin. The catch is that their fighting prowess has attracted the negative attentions of some individuals who have turned an already aggressive breed into sport fighters. Currently pit bull types account for over half the dogs euthanized in animal shelters.

It is fortunate, indeed, that the officer in question had a stun gun and didn’t need to resort to either wading into the confrontation or shooting the animal in question. There was no way of knowing just how much damage the animal would cause, or if it would turn on people next.

In this case, the stun gun not only allowed the officer to protect person and property, it provided a non-lethal option of diffusing the situation.