Dog shooter get's justice from victim

[CentralTexas]

Dog Wiggles Paw Free to Shoot Florida Man

Associated Press

PENSACOLA, Fla. - A man who tried to shoot seven puppies was shot
himself when one of the dogs put its paw on the revolver's trigger.

Jerry Allen Bradford, 37, was charged with felony animal cruelty, the
Escambia County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday. He was being treated
at a hospital for a gunshot wound to his wrist.

Bradford said he decided to shoot the 3-month-old shepherd-mix dogs
in the head because he couldn't find them a home, according to the
sheriff's office.

On Monday, Bradford was holding two puppies - one in his arms and
another in his left hand - when the dog in his hand wiggled and put
its paw on the trigger of the .38-caliber revolver. The gun then
discharged, the sheriff's report said.

Deputies found three of the puppies in a shallow grave outside
Bradford's home, said sheriff's Sgt. Ted Roy.
The other four appeared to be in good health and were taken by
Escambia County Animal Control, which planned to make them available
for adoption.

CT

 

[Rebel Gunman HK]

GOOD!!!!

 

[R.H. Lee]

So now he'll be a criminal defendant in a felony case. What does a .38 do to a wrist at point blank range? What a cretin.

 

[Drizzt]

When interviewed, the dog said "I was lookin for the man who shot my paw....."

 

[ZeroX]

Poor puppies...

And how hard is it to find homes for puppies? You put an ad in the paper that says "Free Puppies!" and they're practically beating down your door.

 

[FRIENDLY]

shooting puppies

The puppy should have aimed somewhat lower and stopped the troublesome breeding problem.

 

[Preacherman]

GOOD doggie!

 

[boing]

Not sure I see the difference between this guy euthanizing the dogs with a .38 to the head, and the state injecting them with poison after sitting in the local shelter for 3 days or a week or whatever. It's instant and painless, and I couldn't call it "cruelty" in the usual sense, even though the particulars of the statute apparently call out a different, more specific definition.

Not incidentally, I've been rescuing all sorts of animals from abuse and homelessness for years: dogs, cats, rats, ferrets, hedgehogs, turtles, birds, etc...to the point of personal bankruptcy, the virtual destruction of a $100k home, strained relationships with family, an imploding marriage, and a thousand other sacrifices large and small...trying to keep from having to do what this guy did.

If finding homes for animals is so easy, why are millions put down by shelters every year?

Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not glad he got shot.

 

[WilderBill]

Now, that sounds like a very clear case of self defense!

 

[White Horseradish]

Well, on one hand I think that was better than drowning them in a sack. OTOH, this guy is a moron.

First, if he does not want his dog to have puppies he needs to either spay the dog or watch it better. Second, holding a small squirming animal in one hand and a gun in another is the height of idiocy. Where did the bullet go after it exited his wrist?

Go puppy.

 

[GigaBuist]

The guy's a moron for getting shot... and I love animals, especially dogs, but I don't see shooting them in the head as cruelty. Given is "gun safety" skills though I can't help but presume he was less than perfect with his weapon though.

My favorite dog of all time was put down by a family member with a gunshot to the head. Had an uncle do it (I was 17 I think). Dog was just too old and couldn't see anymore. Uncle didn't say much, except that it was instant and he didn't feel a thing. Would a vet have been better? Probably not honestly. Hoisted into a car to be manhandled by a stranger and injected with poison vs a quick shot to the back of the head in the backyard that you find comfortable?

I supposed puppies are another matter. The guy might be an idiot, but I don't think he was cruel.

 

[Fingolfin]

BAN PUPPIES NOW

Guns don't kill people, puppies kill people.

 

[stevelyn]

The guy is an idiot for not excercising proper gun safety protocol, but euthanizing a dog with a bullet to the back of the head is not cruelty nor should it bring felony charges. It's far more humane than allowing them to starve or become feral and cause all sorts of other problems.

 

[stealthmode]

what a bastage!!!!1

 

[joe sixpack]

My dad was always having to off whatever family pet we happened to
own. One year we were going to Panama to live, so he had our German
Shepard put to sleep, a couple years later one of our dogs ran down a
deer and killed it and the forest ranger complained, so there goes the dalmation mix...and so on.

Got so that we didn't want any more pets...

cheers, ab

 

[Tharg]

Heard this story all over the radio - Puppies bring out the worst in people (good and bad) rofl.

You think its easy to "get rid" of animals... then you try it.

Some people have issues w/ the cost of spay/neutering. (the vets charge 5x as much for a (bring dog to office) dog then they do for a HOME VISIT for cows/horses)

This guy is an idiot because he had 3mo old germies (that aren't like... small at 3mo's old) w/ a gun in his hand. If he couldn't get rid of the dogs... than its better than a lot of alternatives i've seen. (let them roam till they starve/get called on by animal control/get shot by someone else ... sometimes not quite as instant...)

I raise dogs as extra income and i can tell you they don't always sell. I've never had to euthanize a puppy - but i've had to do it w/ stray's/older dogs that i didn't want to suffer any more. My motto is that its not a whole lot different than sending it to a shelter that not enough people go to (as evidenced by the money i bring in selling dogs) so it can sit there and then get euthanized.

EIther way - mix's are even harder to "move" since anyone looking (that hasn't already gone to a shelter) is not looking for a mix. They are looking for thier purebred....

I've taken much crap for shooting the cats around the house... for the same reason - if there isn't a market for dogs int he shelter - then cats are the red-headed-step children of animals - the number of cats that get euthanized by shelters each year is staggering. (could have something to do w/ the fact that they breed like RABBITS) People don't get thier animals spayed and then they have a litter of 8 of the lil rat )(*)*&*'s... and can't GIVE them away. (altho some do try. Selling bassets from one of my litters was a lady giving cats away free next to me)

Either way - a felony animal cruelty charge this is not. If he goes down then i prolly deserve to go down many more times than he. I live in the country... how it works. People that live in the city tend to get all wishy washy all the while never realizing how thier lifestyle effects "nature" and how many things they've killed driving to soccer practice and how much the city does to animals and things... but looooord alllll mighty can they get on a trip about how bad someone else is for euthanizing an animal.

grrrr can you tell this story irritates me? rofl

btw... the guy is still an idiot... <rofl>

J/Tharg!

 

[only1asterisk]

The guy shouldn't have tryied to carry 2 dogs and a gun. Felony animal cruelty this is not. Simply killing an animal isn't cruel. If he was torturing them fine, but just putting down excess animals is hardly the same.

David

 

[CentralTexas]

Here is the problem-

"I raise dogs as extra income and I can tell you they don't always sell. "

My local shelter here kills 50-100 dogs a DAY sometimes and we have people breeding them for profit??? Plenty of purebreds are being killed there also. I have 3 purebreds from the shelter.

For those that must have purebreds that' s like "well we would adopt but we only want a white child" you do realize purebreds have more health issues from inbreeding right?

Problem #2 -folks that claim they can't afford Spay & Neuter? Then you can't afford normal vet fees every year either- you shouldn't be allowed to have pets.

Problem #3 - I don't want my dog getting lazy/fat whatever if he/she is fixed-
well your understanding of nature & your immaturity make you a bad candidate for a pet owner IMHO also.

Still waiting for proof of claims that the Humane Society makes threats to kill animals....

Felony may be a bit strong for this case, maybe a tactic to get a plea agreement accepted. More than likely another DA that will do anything but the right thing for votes. If the guy doesn't get smacked though what prevents the next guy from saying sure i gassed my dog in the garage/oven, that's what they do downtown right?


CT

 

[Tall Man]

I would like to adopt a "race-rescue" Greyhound, but my present circumstances won't allow me to accommodate a dog at this time. For the moment, my cheerful - and neutered - cat provides a pleasant compantion to come home to.

I'm glad that I've not yet been in a situation that required me to dispatch an animal. That said, I hope I wouldn't hesitate, if only to minimize or eliminate the suffering of the animal. Mr. Bradford's gun handling was sloppy, but his underlying intent was not criminal, IMO.

Although it may not bear direct comparisons here, doesn't anyone remember the lesson of Old Yeller?

For those that must have purebreds, that's like "Well, we would adopt, but we only want a white child." You do realize purebreds have more health issues from inbreeding, right?

Thanks for the ad hominem, CenTex. There's so much that's wrong with your suggestions here that I don't know where to begin.

TM

 

[mec]

If the guy gets a good lawyer or even a so-so lawyer instead of copping a plea, the animal cruelty charges will not stick. Austin, Texas is a liberoid enclave and even speaking disrespectfully to a dog can land you in court.

 

[2nd Amendment]

The fool is incompetent, both in his gun handling and in caring for whatever dog spawned these mutts. That being said I've put a lot of animals down over the years with a rnd to the back of the head. It's quick, effective and at least as painless as any injection. The guy needs slapped upside the head...repeatedly...but not for cruelty to animals.

 

[Diggler]

Bottom line...

IT IS AN ANIMAL.

Not a person, nothing. I personally wouldn't shoot puppies, but that's just me. How close are we to getting felony animal cruelty charges brought against us every time we are successful hunting?? What is the difference between a dog and a deer... or better yet a coyote? <answer = none>. People happen to like dogs, but not coyotes or possums. It's just an animal.

Now if he was shooting them in the hind legs or whatnot, just to watch them yelp and squirm, that's different. But shooting a dog in the head is not animal cruelty.

About breeding purebreds for sale, that's called "fulfilling a market demand." There are people for whatever reason that want a purebred. I have a chocolate lab, with papers, because I knew that for the most part I would be getting a dog with certain characteristics. I didn't feel like playing Russian roulette with choosing a mutt when I have children around. Don't blame the people who are intentionally breeding quality dogs. Blame the people who don't care to spay their dogs.

And I love my dog, but he is NOT a human child, and dogs or other animals should never be compared to one.

 

[R.H. Lee]

Bradford said he decided to "shoot the dogs in the head". Deputies found three dead puppies "in a shallow grave". The article did not say whether the three were killed cleanly with a shot to the head, or otherwise. Maybe the condition of the three dead puppies prompted the felony charge.

 

[Diggler]

I don't think it should matter whether they actually died cleanly. Sometimes a deer is shot and is wounded, it may die or may not. If he intentionally tortured an animal, dog or not, I have no problem with charging animal cruelty. However, if he intended to shoot one in the head and pulled the shot, I wouldn't say that is animal cruelty. Just a bad mistake, hopefully with a quick follow-up shot right after.

It's all about intent.

 

[CentralTexas]

Maybe

It's animal cruelty as there were other options than killing them, no due diligence on his part.

As to the part about them being "animals" you may remeber your junior high science classes where you learned that animals are also human.
I see no difference in killing a retarded child and an adult dog with that logic.
But hey I live in Austin where just by that virtue we are all liberal whackos, have you been here in the last 5 years??????
CT