Officers Use Love to Subdue an Aggressive Dog

Amongst a sea of stories about police brutality towards aggressive dogs, these two Texas officers stand out for their acts of compassion in the face of what could have easily spiraled into another tragic cop-shoots-dog story.

The event happened when Sgt. Gary Carter and and Officer Heather Gibson, out on a call,  spotted a group of frightened people. They were then informed of an aggressive dog roaming through the neighborhood, behaving violently and stalking people.

Calming The Not-So-Aggressive Dog

Reacting to the neighborhood’s cries for help, the two cops sought out the rogue dog, expecting to find a wild, blood thirsty mongrel.

However, what they did happen upon was something else entirely -- a tail-wagging pit bull. Hardly an aggressive dog, the officers first actual encounter with took place after the pit bull was chased off of a neighboring lawn by the homeowners chihuahua.

“He ran to me like,

‘Help me! Help me! This monster is going to eat me!', " Carter said.

A long time dog lover, Carter recognized right away that this dog was not a threat.

At that point, the two officers decided to forego the hostilities, opting to coax the wary pit bull into their car with protein bars and head scratches instead of drawing their firearms. And everything worked out just fine.

They got the 'aggressive dog' into the back seat of their car, took him to a shelter, and reunited him with his owner.

“You could tell he was friendly and open and he needed someone to get him off the street,” Carter said. “I’m glad the way it turned out.”

A Win for The Good Guys

And thanks to the monumental viral success of these officers’ actions, the Arlington Police Department, along with police departments everywhere, are starting to see the importance of training their officers in differentiating between a dog that is a threat, and one that is scared. After reading what seems to be hundreds of tales about dogs getting shot by scared officers, hearing that there are police out there willing to go the peaceful route gives many people hope.

Sources:Star Telegram - Arlington Officers Praised for Pacifying 'Aggressive' DogThe Dodo - Officers End Stand Off with an Aggressive Pit Bull -- By Befriending HimFacebook - Arlington Police Page