Federal police officer shot dog in Arundel park Anne Arundel authorities say man killed husky after dogs fought in park 
Bear-Bear the Siberian husky was shot and killed at an Anne Arundel County dog park.
(Baltimore Sun / August 3, 2010)
Stunned dog owners and residents of a Severn neighborhood are shocked
that authorities won't be charging a federal police officer who shot and
killed a Siberian husky Monday night at a community dog park.
Bear-Bear, a brown and white husky that was about 3 years old, was
playing in the Quail Run dog park at about 6:30 p.m., running off leash
inside the fenced-in area, when the officer and his wife arrived with a
German shepherd, who was kept on a leash. When the dogs
began to play roughly, the federal officer asked Bear-Bear's guardian,
his owner's brother, to call off the dog. But before he could do
anything, the officer pulled out a gun and shot Bear-Bear, according to
the husky's owner.
Bear-Bear, who belongs to Rachel Rettaliata, died of his injuries a few
hours later. County police did not name the federal officer.
"I've been bawling my eyes out since 7 p.m. last night," Rettaliata
said. "It's grief mixed with anger. We're so angry this guy was able to
take our animal for what we feel was no reason at all.
"We still don't believe that he's gone. We just want so badly to be
diligent about this. [The officer] has to pay some sort of consequence
for his foolishness."
A spokesman for the Anne Arundel County Police Department said no
charges will be filed and investigators found no evidence of criminal
activity.
Rettaliata adopted Bear-Bear about two years ago from a husky rescue.
He'd been seized from a Delaware home where people had tied him up
outside, largely leaving him to fend for himself in the elements.
Tiffany Greco, who fostered the young Bear-Bear and placed him with the
Rettaliata family, said the husky had led a hard-knock life, starved and
neglected, with mats in his long fur the size of softballs. But even
though he was mistreated, she said he never became aggressive around
people or dogs.
"He was a very lovey-dovey, happy-go-lucky guy," Greco said, adding that
Bear-Bear at least had a taste of a good life with the Rettaliatas.
"All this dog wanted to do was curl up on top of you."
She said that huskies have a rough way of playing that, to people who don't know them, can seem intimidating.
"They have a much different play style than other dogs," she said.
"They're a rough-and-tumble breed. They're mouthy. Often people
interpret that as being aggressive when it's really them just playing."
In the Quail Run community of townhomes, a number of residents have dogs
that they walk to the community dog park. Neighbors say the park is
generally an easygoing place where well-mannered dogs play with one
another.
Bear-Bear was a regular there.
Tarnna Hernandez saw Bear-Bear all the time. She lives two doors down
from the Rettaliatas and Bear-Bear plays with her children and
Marshmallow, her year-and-a-half-old Dalmatian/Australian shepherd mix.
"I've never personally seen him be aggressive toward any dog or human or
anything, for that matter," Hernandez said. "My two very young children
love Bear-Bear and would attack him every time they saw him with hugs
and love."
She can't believe Bear-Bear would ever do anything to deserve being shot.
"I have not seen that dog hurt anyone. Or snarl. He's never even
barked," she said. "His only way was to get out a gun out and shoot him?
Uh-uh. It's completely unbelievable."
Dorothy Pearce, the homeowner's association manager, was appalled that
someone would fire a gun in the community dog park — at dinnertime.
"This is tragic," she said. "A community of homeowners with children
playing around should not have gun-crazy, off-duty policemen shooting in
their area, especially a dog in a controllable situation."
Rettaliata said that after the officer shot Bear-Bear, the dog didn't
yelp or cry, just lay down in the grass, bleeding heavily. "He just went
and laid down," she said. "I just can't get over it and I don't think
it's being taken seriously because it was an animal involved."
Carolyn Kilborn, chairwoman of the organization Maryland Votes for
Animals, based in nearby Annapolis, thought the authorities should be
investigating the case thoroughly.
"The killing of the dog in Severn is a sad situation that should be
investigated carefully to determine if the incident was caused by a
dangerous dog or a dangerous person," she said.
please join the facebook group - http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=142682469089848
for anyone wanting to complain to try and get this jerk to pay for what he did!
HERE IS CONTACT INFO FROM SOMEONE THAT LIVES 'THERE'
John Leopold, County Executive
jleopold@aacounty.org
Anne Arundel County Police
P02438@aacounty.orgSenator Barbara Mikulski
http://mikulski.sena...act/contact.cfmCongressman John Sarbanes
http://sarbanes.hous...constituent.asp UPDATE
here is an update on the case
http://www.examiner....-Husky-Examiner
and sign the petition - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/justice-foe-bear-bear
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