After skimming online, a pair of floppy dog ears and a pink wet nose caught my eye.  

Sadly, it wasn’t a Reddit’s r/cute.  St. Clair Shores police shot and killed a pit bull who had been roaming the neighborhood in the early morning Nov. 25.

According to freep.com, Police Sgt Dave Burmeister said officers had tried to catch him but the dog had charged the officers and appeared to be aggressive.  They were alerted to the dog at 3:00 a.m. and the shooting happened at 7:00 am.

All of this rings odd for me.  Why are police officers trying to catch a dog for four hours?  Am I really forced to believe that the St. Clare Shores Animal Control could not have been dispatched?  

Animal control officers have expertise in capturing wild animals and loose pets because it’s in the job description. Well, it is the job description.  So why are police officers playing pound puppies when there is a city to protect?

Whether the dog was aggressive is up for debate.  The owner of the pit bull, Brittany Preston, said her dog was not mean, according to freep.com.  It sounds a bit strange. 

She obviously did not research this breed.

 I have cared for a few pit bulls and what seems to escape pit bull owners is the fact that these are from the terrier breed group  From my first hand knowledge, terriers are adorable terrors. They are high energy dogs that need a healthy outlet to drain that tension, and they are bred to hunt.  

On the American Kennel Club’s website, it reads, “’They make engaging pets, but require owners with the determination to match their dogs’ lively characters.’”  Terriers are a handful, and it doesn’t help that pit bulls are heavy and muscular.  

I can’t speculate if her little Lexie was an aggressive dog.  But, I will say she was probably having fun chasing her “prey” and gallivanting around the neighborhood.  

And when her “prey” turned into a “predator,” as the officers chased her, she probably became scared and worked up. It’s not a surprise that she didn’t want to come when called. We give people benefit of the doubt for how they were raised, why not dogs on how they are bred?

What also concerns me is that Preston’s grandfather was home during the ordeal, while Preston was at work.  How do you not notice your big pit bull is missing? 

And if he did, why didn’t he go look for her? 

 If my Chihuahua escaped, I would be outside with a flash light and a can full of treats, hollering for her until I found her. When officers told him they had to shoot the dog, he just watched.  Honestly, I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t have tried to stop them.

All-in-all this story leaves too many unanswered questions.  But, this is all about the shoulda, coulda, woulda.  

The real point is animal owners need to care for their pets. Food, water, shelter and love are pretty basic.  But caring includes protecting your animal from potential dangers and researching the breed.  

Let’s continue a happy relationship with man’s best friend.