New Program Teaches Baltimore Officers How To Handle Stray Dogs

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Cracking down on animal cruelty. A new program is aimed at teaching police officers how to safely handle a stray dog--reducing harm to themselves and the animal.

Tracey Leong explains the effort to promote this program.

Police officers routinely come into contact with dogs on their patrols. The new program will help them to safely evaluate every situation.

Training Baltimore police officers on how to properly handle and humanely contain a dog.

The Maryland SPCA'a Katie Flory is leading the program in an effort to reduce unnecessary harm to both an officer and a canine.

"We were seeing a trend in the United States where officers were encountering a number of dogs, and some of these dogs were being killed," said Flory.

A recent example is the story of Nala, who escaped from her home in 2014. While being contained, Baltimore police officer Jeffrey Bolger slit the Shar Pei's neck.

Bolger was charged with animal cruelty and a judge cleared him of any wrongdoing in the dog's death.

The decision sparked outrage and prompted animal advocates to take action--starting with these training courses for police.

"Understanding the difference between an aggressive dog or perhaps a frightened dog--officers might not really understand and might think that a dog who's just simply trying to get away from them could be a threat," said Col. Melissa Hyatt, Baltimore City Police Department.

Officers encounter dogs at 30 percent of the homes they respond to.

These classes give them the tools and resources to effectively assess their interactions with canines while on the job.

"To use that knowledge to be able to keep themselves safe, as well as the dogs they are encountering," Flory said.

The dog officer training will continue throughout April.

The trainings will take place at all nine Baltimore Police Department districts.