Good Thing He's a Lousy Shot—Dog Survives 4 Bullets 

April 18, 2001 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

A combination of panic, paranoia and philistinism landed a pooch in the hospital yesterday, but she's expected to pull through.

Deputy Greg Taylor, responding to a vicious dog report, arrived at the home of 
Corey Babin on Gore Park Boulevard, St. Amantand and found Mr. Babin's newly-adopted boxer in the yard.  The dog approached the officer and stopped about 25 feet away.

The dog barked, and Deputy Taylor shot her in the leg.  As she ran away, the policeman shot three more times, hitting her once.

"She was spinning around and he fired three shots at a retreating dog," Babin said. "He came over here ready to shoot a dog. Anybody can have a dog that moves toward someone who comes into their yard. That's what dogs do."

Deputy Taylor later apologized to Mr. Babin for shooting the dog.  He indicated that he'd never been in that sort of situation before.

In all fairness to the officer, Louisiana statutes do permit the immediate killing of a dog who is deemed vicious.

"It's an unfortunate incident, and I hate to see anybody's dog injured," said sheriff's Col. Tony Bacala.

"This is not a vicious dog," said Mr. Babin.  "I've got a 5-year-old nephew who plays with her every day."

So who exactly deemed the little boxer vicious?  Ask the lady next door.

Lacy Catoire, Mr. Babin's neighbor was the one who called in the report.  Although she had never actually met the dog, she said the boxer frightened her.  Catoire, who is in the seventh month of her pregnancy, also made a number of other accusations that proved to be untrue.

I wonder, what do Louisiana statutes permit on dealing with a person who is deemed an idiot?

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