Not your typical dog question

[Liberty]

By Texas law, a K9 IS a police officer the punishment for killing/injuring a K9 is one level below a human officer. Go talk to the deputy or pick a new route to walk your dogs. If the dog or dogs are K9s shooting one could wind up costing you dearly.

That's crazy! If an off duty cop robs a bank and the guard shoots him, will the guard get the death penalty for shooting a cop?

Maybe not so crazy. In our legal system who is the responding police officers, the prosecutors, the judge, or the jury going to believe. A Cop or guy who just shot the K9.

[srothstein]

By Texas law, a K9 IS a police officer the punishment for killing/injuring a K9 is one level below a human officer. Go talk to the deputy or pick a new route to walk your dogs. If the dog or dogs are K9s shooting one could wind up costing you dearly.

This is an old myth. By Texas law, a human is a human and a police service animal is a police service animal. The penalties are different and in some cases higher than doing the same thing to an officer. For example, it is a crime to taunt a police animal, but not a human officer. It is a second degree felony to kill a police service animal.

Interestingly enough, the law does not require the killing or injury to be due to the status of the animal as a police service animal. It does require the killing or injury of the police officer to be directly related to his duties as a police officer to be eligible for the upgrades in penalties (which answers the question about shooting the cop robbing the bank).

Also, interestingly enough, the law specifically allows for other than dogs. It mentions horses but includes any animal trained to work as in law enforcement. Theoretically, if I could teach a parrot to attack you on command, it would come under these rules.

Check the Penal Code at Section 38.151

[BrassMonkey]

If he is a K9 unit, I cannot imagine him not having a take home unit. Liability and all in travelling to and from work.

[israel67]

By Texas law, a K9 IS a police officer the punishment for killing/injuring a K9 is one level below a human officer.

[KBCraig]

Theoretically, if I could teach a parrot to attack you on command, it would come under these rules.

I've got an African Grey who's 90% there...

[Liberty]

Theoretically, if I could teach a parrot to attack you on command, it would come under these rules.

I've got an African Grey who's 90% there...

Since when does an African Grey need a command to attack?

[KBCraig]

Theoretically, if I could teach a parrot to attack you on command, it would come under these rules.

I've got an African Grey who's 90% there...

Since when does an African Grey need a command to attack?

Now that you point it out, the other 10% involves getting him not to.

[BigDan]

Here's my take on it.

When it happened:
If they charged at you, you have every right to shoot the dog to protect yourself. If the dog was coming after your dog, you still have a right to defend yourself, claiming you didn't know if it was you or the dog (because you really didn't).

Followup today or near future:
After I got back home, I would have called animal control to notify them of the aggressive dogs and the behavior. Then, I would call the Police to notify them of the situation so that THEY can go talk to the owner. You could choose to go talk to them, but the LEO may not have been welcoming of you talking about his animals, K9 Officers or not.

[pt145ss]

If he is a K9 unit, I cannot imagine him not having a take home unit. Liability and all in travelling to and from work.

He does have a unit at his house. That is the only reason I know he is a Travis County Sheriff Deputy. What I did not pay much attention to is if it says K9 on the unit anywhere.