Target: Lewis S. Walker, Sheriff for Crawford County, Georgia
Goal: Fire officers responsible for shooting a man’s dog and then forcing the owner to decapitate him.
A sheriff’s deputy shot a beloved family dog, named Big Boy, after he had bit a neighbor and reportedly lunged at the officer. To make matters worse, when the dog’s owner arrived on the scene, another investigator ordered the man to behead his dog so that his brain could be checked for signs of rabies. When owner Joe Goodwin refused to comply, the officers threatened to place him under arrest.
The incident was filmed and appears to show the investigators intimidating Goodwin and threatening to send him to jail for refusing to decapitate his own recently slain dog. Although Goodwin did use profanity, it is understandable that he was distraught over the loss of his companion. Many have agreed that the investigator’s request was entirely unreasonable, as only a trained veterinarian should attempt to perform this procedure.
The investigators shown in the video appear to show a complete lack of remorse for both the dog’s death and his owner’s distress. No animal owner should be forced to dismember their pet under the threat of going to jail. Sign this petition to demand that these officers be relieved of their duties if they are found guilty of wrongdoing.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Sheriff Walker,
An officer appears to have threatened to arrest a man when he refused orders to decapitate his own dog. The pit bull mix, named Big Boy, was killed after he reportedly bit a neighbor and lunged at a sheriff’s deputy. While it is deeply unfortunate that this animal died, and the circumstances surrounding the shooting must be investigated, what happened next is unthinkable.
The dog’s owner, a man named Joe Goodwin, was intimidated by investigators on the scene who appear to have forced him to behead his own dog to check for rabies. This behavior is unprofessional, and should never be expected of an animal’s owner. Only a veterinarian has the skill and training to perform such a procedure. We, the undersigned, demand that you investigate these events thoroughly and have these officers permanently relieved of their duties if these allegations are true.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Almonroth