LAPD Dog Shootings Prompt Scrutiny of Tactics and Policies

Following the fatal shooting of a family pet in Canoga Park, scrutiny has intensified regarding Los Angeles Police Department protocols for engaging canines. A CBS California Investigates review of use-of-force data uncovered dozens of incidents where officers opened fire on dogs, raising concerns about the application of deadly force against animals and whether alternative tactics could have prevented injuries or deaths.

At the center of these concerns are two families whose experiences echo similar trauma. In 2018, seven-year-old Neveah Aguilar watched as an LAPD officer shot her family’s pit bull, Kush, in the jaw inside their Hollywood apartment. Officers had entered the residence during an investigation into an unrelated shooting nearby. Aguilar’s mother, Norma Lopez, alleges that officers deceived her Spanish-speaking spouse into allowing entry without securing the animal first. Lopez subsequently sued the department for unlawful entry, and the family later settled the case, though specific terms remain undisclosed.

The Canoga Park incident involved Jameson, a two-year-old Golden Saint Bernard Doodle. Body-camera footage from June shows officers responding to reports of screaming during the NBA Championship celebration. When the dog exited the apartment barking and moved toward an officer, the officer discharged their weapon. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered a review of deadly force policies concerning dog encounters shortly after the shooting.

An analysis of LAPD reports over the past ten years indicates 67 dogs were shot by officers, with 45 identified as pit bulls, including Kush. Fatalities were most frequent in 2016, with 12 deaths out of 19 shootings, and 2015, which saw eight fatalities. While numbers dropped to a single incident in 2024, 2026 has already recorded four shootings resulting in three deaths.

Theida Salazar, the attorney representing both families, argued that greater patience could have averted the shootings. He noted that in the Hollywood case, officers falsely told the family Kush was dead immediately after the incident. The dog survived for another two years but suffered lasting physical and emotional damage. Aguilar, now a high school freshman, continues to attend therapy for trauma related to the event.

The LAPD declined to grant an interview but issued a statement confirming a comprehensive review of tactics, training, and best practices. Despite the Mayor’s directive, the department has not yet enacted formal changes to its “Dog Encounters” Directive, which was implemented in 2023.