The Scotts Bluff County Sheriff's Department has released video of a shooting of a dog on Monday. "Angie has home surveillance video that shows the incident. Anderson County Sheriff's Office deputy shoots, kills dog that attacked him, agency says Nikie Mayo, Anderson Independent Mail Published 4:02 p.m.
Dawson Rogers was asleep in his tent with his dog, Bubba, at a Nantahala National Forest campsite the morning of July 22 when he heard Bubba bark. "When my German Shepherd did his job and approached the officer barking, the officer shot him. That there was five gunshots, one on the bridge of the nose, one above his left eye, two in his neck and one grazed his neck and went in his shoulder,” Rogers said.Jon McMillan, acting director for the Office of Communication of the Forest Service’s Southern Region, said Officer Franklin is still working but that the incident is “currently under review by the Forest Service Office of Professional Responsibility.”The OPR is responsible for reviewing all use of force incidents involving U.S. Forest Service law enforcement personnel.“I do not currently have a timeline on when the review will be completed,” McMillan said.Rogers said he has yet to be contacted by an investigator.The Nantahala National Forest is the largest in land mass, and the westernmost of North Carolina’s four national forests. Facebook / Angie Laymon. The Sheriff said he acted appropriately, the dog owner disagrees.
Dawson Rogers was asleep in his tent with his dog, Bubba, at a Rogers, 22, of Robbinsville, always left the tent slightly unzipped so Bubba could do his business during the night.He saw Bubba leave the tent, then almost immediately heard five piercing gunshots.“I jumped out of the tent just as quick as I could, and I see Officer (Rick) Franklin and he said my dog tried to attack him,” Rogers told the Citizen Times. He described Bubba as about a year-old, 36-pound, Catahoula Leopard dog, which he had rescued when a friend was going to take Bubba to a shelter.The puppy’s skull was fractured, and he was moaning, bleeding and dragging his head all over the ground, Rogers said.“I said, ‘Can't you go ahead and put him down, put him out of his pain and suffering?’ He said he wasn't allowed to do that,” Rogers said. "We were investigating a crime and your dog attacked our deputy," it read. "The deputy came on to my property when nobody was home," said Angie. "The dog was shot and we need you to call us." Walton said he used his gun to protect himself.Laymon said so many people have already come forward wanting to help with Bruno's expenses and to help save his leg. "He very well could have hit me," Rogers said of the officer.On July 30, Diana Starr, an animal rights activist in Asheville, filed a letter of complaint on behalf of Rogers with Forest Service Supervisor Allen Nicholas, who is based in Asheville.“We request a full investigation into this unlawful shooting begin immediately and the strongest possible sanctions against Ranger Franklin be taken when it is shown that a 36-pound puppy was not a threat to anyone’s safety,” Starr wrote in the letter.She said she was told last week that there would be an investigation but has received no updates.When asked if the public should feel safe camping with their dogs, Nicholas, the head of the Forest Service in North Carolina, said that investigative protocols are being followed, but that "it would be inappropriate for me to make any comments at this time. "A deputy came over to ask some questions regarding the neighbor's house and felt threatened … "“For this type of use of force incident the officer would retain their weapons and credentials and would not be placed in an administrative status while the review is being conducted,” McMillan said.Chicago Mayor Says Looting Is 'Never Justifiable' After Activist Defends Theft as 'Reparations'6 national restaurant chains in deepest trouble amid COVID-19 include Outback Steakhouse, IHOP and Denny'sOfficer shoots rescue dog at Nantahala campsite; investigation underwayShow full articles without "Continue Reading" button for {0} hours. Three hours lapsed from the time the deputy shot Bruno to the time her children were dropped off from church.Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton said his deputy was investigating a crime in the area when he felt threatened by the dog. A note from the Rogers County Sheriff's Office was attached to … AnOwassomother said her children came home from church Wednesday night to find their family dog bleeding from a gunshot wound.
The Rogers County Sheriff's Office is investigating an animal cruelty case just south of Inola. It borders the Pisgah National Forest, and together the two cover more than 1 million acres of heavily forested, mountainous terrain across Western North Carolina.They are two of the busiest forests in the country, drawing some 5 million visitors a year, and it is not uncommon for campers to bring pets.There are seven law enforcement officers who patrol the million acres, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Cathy Dowd.In the past five years, outside of designated shooting ranges, no weapons have been discharged in the Nantahala or Pisgah national forests by Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations personnel, McMillan said.He said there are no other reports of use of force on the Pisgah and Nantahala national forests.Rogers said he could still see Bubba's hind legs outside the tent when the shooting started, and was probably only 5 feet away.