SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police confirmed that one of its officers shot and killed a Chihuahua on the East Side, but they said it was done to stop the dog from suffering after it was apparently mauled or hit by a car.
Police had been called near the area of Poinsettia and Walters streets for an unrelated incident Monday when they said someone pointed out a severely injured Chihuahua, later identified as Trixie.
“The officer did, as per protocol, contact the supervisor and let him know the situation, received approval from the supervisor to shoot the dog,” said Doug Greene, SAPD spokesperson, who added that the officer who shot Trixie claimed the dog was on the brink of death.
“It appeared that the intestines of the dog were protruding out. There were some puncture wounds, and it appeared that the dog was either mauled or run over by a car,” Greene said
Pictures taken of Trixie after she was shot, with her stomach apparently intact, seem to tell a different story.
SAPD said Animal Care Services was notified, but after numerous checks, an ACS representative said the agency never received a call for a dog in distress at the location Monday. ACS said if it had received a call like that, it would have been a top priority for the agency.
The ACS spokesperson also said officals would have taken the injured animal to an emergency clinic or a veterinarian. SAPD said it's not aware of that ACS protocol and stands by its decision.
SAPD said it's unlikely the officer who shot Trixie will be investigated unless his supervisor sees fit. It is likely that the department will meet with Animal Care Services to discuss the possibility of a uniformed protocol to put distressed animals down in the future.