Police officers in Merced, CA have been taking injured dogs and cats found on the streets to the shooting range to use as target practice. This policy has been on the books for over a decade. California's penal code says, "...any officer... may, with the approval of his or her immediate superior, humanely destroy any abandoned animal in the field in any case where the animal is too severely injured to move or where a veterinarian is not available and it would be more humane to dispose of the animal."
Many of these dogs and cats have once been beloved pets. If death is inevitable, animals should always be put down through painless euthanasia in a caring environment. These animals deserve a more dignified and peaceful ending than being shot by a police officer. Please sign the petition to convince Merced police to change their policy and work with animal control and rescue organizations to ensure a humane and peaceful solution for dealing with injured animals.
We, the undersigned, are shocked that police officers in Merced, CA have been taking injured dogs and cats found on the streets to the shooting range to use as target practice. We understand that this policy has been on the books for over a decade, according to California's penal code, which says, "...any officer... may, with the approval of his or her immediate superior, humanely destroy any abandoned animal in the field in any case where the animal is too severely injured to move or where a veterinarian is not available and it would be more humane to dispose of the animal."
Many of these dogs and cats have once been beloved pets. If death is inevitable, animals should always be put down through painless euthanasia in a caring environment. These animals deserve a more dignified and peaceful ending than being shot by a police officer. We respectfully urge you to change your policy and work with animal control and rescue organizations to ensure a humane and peaceful solution for dealing with injured animals. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
