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Family speaks out after dog fatally shot by police
A Santa Ana family is demanding answers after they say police shot their dog four times... killing him.
SANTA ANA, Calif. - A woman in Santa Ana is demanding answers from police after Max, her German shepherd, was shot four times by officers.
The family dog died the next day.
Santa Ana police responded to a family disturbance call on South Orange Avenue Wednesday, July 30, around 8:35 p.m. The department said one of the two officers on the scene was attacked by a "large aggressive dog". The officer then discharged his gun.
Max's owner disputes that account, saying her dog was a friendly family pet that wandered outside the yard. She said the officers dragged Max to their police cruiser and delayed getting him medical attention.
"For them to take accountability for what they did. And that they have protocols and I would want them to follow those protocols and be more careful when it comes down to them using a gun," said owner Luz Vega.
The dog was taken to a hospital in stable condition but died the next day. In a statement, the department said initially, officers were unable to locate the dog's owner.
The family said Santa Ana police contacted them and apologized. The officer also provided them with options for moving forward, including legal action.
The Source: Information for this story came from a statement provided by the Santa Ana Police Department and an interview with the dog's owner, Luz Vega.