San Bernardino County deputy fatally shoots dog while responding to report of stolen vehicle

A San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department deputy fatally shot a dog while responding to a report of a stolen vehicle on Monday morning.

The sheriff's department said deputies responded to the 7000 block of Glasgow Avenue around 11:37 a.m. after receiving a report about a stolen vehicle. 

Contracted tree cutters from Southern California Edison were attempting to reach an area that was being obstructed by a vehicle nearby. The workers contacted the owner of the vehicle whose information was on a sticker on the window. The owner of the vehicle called the police to report their stolen vehicle.

When deputies arrived, one of them entered a homeowner's yard while searching for the vehicle. The deputy encountered the homeowner's two dogs.

The sheriff's department said that during the encounter, the deputy opened fire, fatally striking the dog, a Rottweiler named Daisy.

"They had no right to go to the backyard," said Jesus Serna, who owns the home. "They had no right to even set foot on the property."

Video shows the moments when the deputy opens the home's gate, and both of the dogs approach the deputy. The first dog, a German shepherd named Raven, sniffs the deputy but steps away. Seconds later, Daisy appears in frame, at which point the deputy is seen taking a step back with his firearm drawn.

"Having to go to my security cameras, and seeing what they did, it was just horrifying," said Serna. Though he and his family don't stay at the property, he says he keeps his dogs there for security, as it was rebuilt after fire damage. 

A sheriff's supervisor and members from Animal Control responded to the scene. The homeowners were notified of the incident.

"What if my kids would have been there?" Serna said. "My two boys. What if they would've been playing hide-and-seek in the back? and they're just entering the property like that."

Deputies were able to find the reported stolen vehicle, parked along a fence close to Serna's. They further noted that the home where the shooting took place was unrelated to the vehicle theft investigation, deputies said. 

"To me it seems like the officers didn't have any proper training, to be honest," Serna said. "He knows he wasn't supposed to be there, and he still entered."

He said that he plans on filing a formal complaint against the SBSD deputy involved. 

"They hurt my family in a very emotional way. You can't undo five years of a loyal pet like that," Serna said.