PETITION TARGET: Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels
An off-duty deputy drew his gun and shot one-year-old puppy Parker dead as the friendly dog played in a local park in Clay County, Florida.
Parker was running around off leash when he spotted the deputy walking his dog. The excitable hound/boxer mix was running towards the pair to say hello when Lt. Mark Cowan pulled out his personal handgun and killed him.
According to the incident report, Cowan thought Parker was a 40-50 pound pitbull and shot him in self-defense.
Parker’s guardian, Miranda Abba, was out of town at the time, but she says Parker was a sweet, friendly dog who had never shown aggression towards anyone.
Although a report was made, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office says no charges will be filed, and the case is closed.
This is a shocking act of unnecessary force, used against a dog showing no signs of aggression. As a law enforcement officer, Lt. Cowan should have used non-lethal alternatives to deal with this situation.
Sign this petition urging the Clay County sheriff’s office to take cases of animal death seriously, and enact a mandatory training program for all officers so they can deal with animals properly and safely.
This officer should be shot