BALTIMORE -- Controversy is brewing over a videotape of police dog training -- and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is accusing Baltimore City police of abuse.
An anonymous PETA member sent the video to 11 NEWS and after airing it, 11 NEWS received many responses from viewers. The attention is focused on a video that shows Baltimore City police officers training their K-9 partners.
On Wednesday, PETA is demanding that the police prosecute the officer in that tape.
WBAL-TV 11 NEWS I-Team reporter Lisa Robinson said that to many animals lovers, the video is particularly disturbing. It is as also disturbing for the members of the award-winning K-9 unit -- and those members said it's not what it looks like.
Those who listened closely to the video said they could hear the trainer guiding the Baltimore City police officer as he trained with the dog named Shadow.
"Look him in the eyes, get on top of him do it again. He feels he's won," the man in the video said.
But to PETA, this is not a training session, it's abuse.
"There's no K-9 unit acceptable that would involve jerking animals by the neck, slamming them into the ground, pounding knee into them or screaming at them ruthlessly," PETA representative Bruce Friedrick said.
The K-9 unit's commander, Lt. Tom Cassella said Shadow had a strong personality, was difficult to train and had issues with the officer's service revolver, Robinson reported.
"All we were doing was trying to make sure the dog understood what appropriate behavior would be. In this case, not to bite the handler while he was drawing down on a suspect," Cassella said.
Police said this was a last resort. On the tape, viewers can hear the trainer saying he doesn't like the method used, Robinson reported.
"I don't like to do this," the trainer said.
"The K-9 in question, we had exhausted all previous measures to have the dog understand and comply," Cassella said.
But PETA doesn't buy that. They said the police are doing damage control.
"Animals never have to be abused, animals never have to be injured in their training. This protocol is not acceptable. We are delighted to sit down with police and talk about how they need to revamp so this sort of thing won't happen again," Friedrick said.
PETA also wants to see the officer on the tape prosecuted.
"How can we prosecute anybody for cruelty to animals if what you see on the tape is deemed acceptable by the police force," Friedrick said.
Shadow is now retired and the officer on the tape left the unit for personal reasons, Robinson reported. That officer faces no charges for what went on.
There are two other officers being investigated for inappropriate discipline of dogs -- one of which was Shadow -- but not for what was seen on the tape, Robinson reported.
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