It's legal for law enforcement to use firearms to perform "emergency euthanasia" if an animal is a threat (8 lb cats are pretty destructive), sick, or injured beyond hope.

After Tom Newhart's orange tabby, Sugar, slipped out of the house last month, he frantically searched for her — unsuccessfully — and then called police.

That's when he learned a borough officer had shot and killed Sugar, dumping her body in a trash container, Newhart said.
....
Pursell made no attempt to capture the cat or call for an animal control officer and shot the cat, according to Fliszar's letter. Lienert said Sugar didn't appear to be injured and had not been acting aggressively, but the cat hissed at Pursell when he tried to poke at Sugar to get her out of a hiding spot beneath a grill.

After the shooting, Pursell made no attempt to find the cat's owner and tossed the dead cat in a garbage container.

From: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-n ... story.html

The lesson is never to ask the police for help finding pets.

I'll see your asshole cop and raise you at least three kitten lovers.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/que ... -1.2386642

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyp ... -1.2475290

http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-ems/art ... s-in-tree/

SwampGrouch wrote:I'll see your asshole cop and raise you at least three kitten lovers.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/que ... -1.2386642

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyp ... -1.2475290

http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-ems/art ... s-in-tree/

I mean, we could go back and forth all day-- the cop who resigned after caging and shooting a family dog, the cop who shot a litter of kittens in front of some neighborhood children, the various guard dogs killed routinely-- but the details of the case call into question the ability for people without veterinary/animal control backgrounds to perform euthanasia on animals. LEOs are just 1/3 of the organizations legally allowed to perform these.

I've had some really great interactions with police, called the compliment line, etc, but those anecdotes are just anecdotes. I've had some teachers who have changed my life for the better and a couple who almost ruined it. Don't hate teachers. Have some problems with ed policy, educational system, zero tolerance in schools, etc.

if a regular person did this, there would be charges of animal cruelty and abuse, and suspicion that they're a serial killer in training.

lurker wrote:if a regular person did this, there would be charges of animal cruelty and abuse, and suspicion that they're a serial killer in training.

and that's why we have a 50 year war; we must make a socially acceptable outlet for them.