Owner tells officer to shoot dog mauling 14-year-old girl, TN cops say. ‘Kill my dog’

A dog owner gave officers permission to kill their family pet when the dog wouldn’t stop attacking a 14-year-old girl, Tennessee authorities said.

Law enforcement responded to a call of a dog attacking a minor at around 4 p.m. March 1 in Gadsden, the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

A large family dog attached to a chain had yanked the chain out of the ground and attacked the teen, an investigator with the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department told McClatchy News over the phone.

When first responders arrived, they said the dog was still biting the child, preventing medical personnel from stepping in.

The attacking dog and another dog still tied on a chain were showing aggression toward law enforcement and the girl, which only increased when authorities arrived, they said.

Finally, with the dog still “latched” onto the teen, the owner screamed, telling law enforcement, “kill my dog,” officials said.

An officer with the Gadsden Police Department shot the dog once, killing it and saving the child’s life, authorities said.

“This was a tragic and difficult call for all involved,” Crockett deputies said in the release.

Medical staff were able to treat the child, who was then transported to a hospital.

In a statement from the Gadsden Police Department, officers called it the “best outcome for the situation we were given.”

“These are very difficult and emotionally charged situations for many reasons,” Crockett County deputies wrote. “The family is grateful for the outcome and we continue to remember the child in our thoughts as healing takes place.”

Gadsden is in west Tennessee, about 80 miles northeast of Memphis.

What to know about dog attacks

“Dogs give us comfort, companionship, exercise, entertainment, and unconditional love,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. “But it’s important to remember that any dog can bite, even trusted family pets.”

Dogs bite more than 4.5 million people each year in the U.S., and nearly 800,000 of those people need medical attention, according to the CDC.

Any dog can bite if they feel scared or nervous, or if they want to be alone. You should never approach a dog that seems angry or scared, the CDC said.

If an unfamiliar dog comes up to you, officials say you should:

• Stay calm and be still.

• Avoid eye contact with the dog.

• Don’t panic or make loud noises. Don’t run.

• Say “no” or “go home” in a deep voice. Stand with the side of your body toward the dog.

• Slowly raise your hands to your neck and back away slowly.