BROUSSARD, La. — One family is mourning the loss of their pet after it was shot in the driveway of an off-duty Lafayette Parish Deputy Thursday night.
The deputy lives across the road from the dog owner's house.
Bentley whose nickname is "Dum-Dum," was a 5-year-old rescued black lab. The family describes him as lovable and good natured. Now they are seeking justice after he was killed right in front of their home.
"He had a good life. It wasn't long enough but for five years he was treated like a member of the family," says Tiffani Baugh.
Baugh is the mother of the 15-year-old son. She says that he and Bentley were close, and she is struggling to comprehend why her son's best friend is no longer here.
"I know the dog didn't do anything wrong to earn this. It just wasn't in him and I know dogs can be [aggressive] sometimes, there are situations where animals do get out of control but that's not what happened here," Baugh tells KATC.
The family says they were on their nightly neighborhood walk when unleashed Bentley approached the deputy and things turned deadly. It is still unclear why the deputy disarmed the weapon.
"It was at this time this guy got off of his shift and he caught Dum-Dum's attention and Dum-Dum ran over for some pets and "good boys" and he was murdered instead."
They were given a $1,000 citation for having the dogs off the leash and are seeking to file a formal complaint against the deputy that pulled the trigger.
"A lot is lost here and whatever we can do to make it a little better is yeah that's what we would like to do for sure. How could you do something like this? Is there something else you could've done? I know he probably had a taser or pepper spray but I still am not under the impression that the dog earned any of this again, why?" expresses Baugh.
According to the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, the deputy that fired the gun is still on active duty and the investigation is still ongoing.
