LAPD dog shootings raise questions about police tactics, best practices: "I don't want it to happen again"

Neveah Aguilar was 7 years old when a Los Angeles police officer opened fire on her family's dog inside their Hollywood apartment. She was just a few steps away when Kush, a pit bull, was shot in the jaw.

Almost eight years later, CBS California Investigates has looked into the Los Angeles Police Department's use-of-force reports involving dog shootings. The team found dozens of cases in which officers opened fire, which raised questions about when officers use deadly force against animals and whether some of these shootings could have been prevented.

The investigation comes months after a family dog in Canoga Park was fatally shot by LAPD officers. For Aguilar and her mother, Norma Lopez, hearing about the incident brought back memories of what happened to Kush.

Lopez sued the police for unlawfully entering their home during an investigation into a shooting that happened outside their apartment complex. Lopez said officers detained her and her former partner before the apartment search, even though her family had nothing to do with the shooting in the area. 

Aguilar alleged that officers tricked her mother, who only speaks Spanish, into letting them in without giving her a chance to secure Kush.

Lopez and Aguilar said they not only want to shed light on their own case, but also on the case of the 2-year-old Golden Saint Bernard Doodle, named Jameson, in Canoga Park. Aguilar said, "I don't want it to happen again."

In June, LAPD officers answered a call about a woman screaming during the NBA Championship game, celebrating a victory. 

Body-worn camera footage shows Jameson's owner answering the door when two officers knocked on her door. The officers asked the woman to secure Jameson, but he walked out of the apartment, barking. As Jameson moved toward the officer, he opened fire. 

Lopez's attorney, Theida Salazar, said police shootings against dogs were common when he worked on her case in 2018.  

CBS California Investigates looked at the LAPD's Use of Force reports over the past 10 years and found the LAPD had 19 cases in which officers shot at dogs in 2016. Of those incidents, 12 dogs died. In 2015, there were 11 shootings, eight of which were fatal.

The numbers have been going down, with only one in 2024. But so far, in 2026, there have been four, resulting in three deaths.  

According to LAPD reports, over the past 10 years, officers have shot 67 dogs; 45 have been pit bulls, including Kush.

CBS California Investigates reached out to the LAPD for comment, but the department declined a request for an interview. Instead, a spokesperson emailed a statement saying in part: "At this time, the Department is conducting a comprehensive review of tactics, training, and best practices."

Salazar said his clients settled their lawsuit, but he is unable to share the specific terms.

"If just a little more patience had been exercised, the dog would not have been shot, and I believe in the same instance in Canoga Park," Salazar said.

In the case of Kush, Lopez said the police told her the dog was dead after the shooting. That wasn't true. 

She said after the shooting Kush snuck into the bathroom and hopped into the tub. Four hours after the shooting, animal control walked Kush out to their truck. She alleges that "they just let her bleed out."

Kush lived for another couple of years. But Lopez and Aguilar said their once energetic and playful dog was never the same. Lopez said her daughter has had to undergo years of therapy for what she witnessed. 

Photos of Kush still hang on Aguilar's bedroom wall. There's also a paw print by her bed. Her mother said she raises her children to respect police, but the now high school freshman said, "It's not that I don't trust them, but I'm still afraid of them, and I feel like they still scare me."

Following the deadly shooting of Jameson, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered a review of dog encounters when it comes to deadly force.

The department said it has not made formal changes to its 'Dog Encounters' Directive that went into place in 2023.