BY ANNA DURRETT / REPORTER

The dog shot by a Madison police officer early Sunday morning on the 100 block of Westcott Drive was not fatally wounded, according to Lt. John Stringer of the Madison City Police Department.

Stringer said the golden retriever was shot once in the shoulder.

“For humanitarian reasons, as we would for a person, we wanted to make sure the dog was provided aid,” said Stringer. “The dog was taken to an emergency vet. The chief was told that the owner was unable to pay for the treatment, and to prevent the animal from suffering, he authorized the dog to be treated and restitution will be sought later.”

Stringer said the officer who shot the dog was the second officer to arrive at the domestic disturbance. “One officer was already on scene,” he said. “He had already taken control of the scene and was giving verbal commands and putting people in positions of safety. The back-up officer arrived. Upon the back-up officer’s approach, he was attacked by a dog.”

The dog approached the officer and was growling and barking, according to Stringer. “The officer retreated,” he said. “The officer was knocked down and the dog continued to aggress on him even as he fired three rounds.”

Stringer said Madison police officers are trained to defend themselves from aggressive animals, and depending on the situation different defense tactics can be used. “The officer already had his weapon out as he approached because of the armed confrontation that was possible,” said Stringer.

The dog was not restrained or on a leash, according to Stringer. He said the police cited the owner for allowing the animal to run at large.