Stupidity

Read this petition on Whitehouse.gov:

We the people of the United States demand that George Allan Burdock be charged with animal cruelty for is gross sordid & deplorable actions. On Thursday August 13th around 8:30pm according to the witness George Burdock of Winter Park,Florida shot his neighbors harmless beautiful dog named "Lilly" with a loaded 38 pistol. Allegedly on the evening of the 13th Mr. Burdock was walking the neighborhood with a gun allegedly scaring the neighbors. Allegedly Allan Burdock claims he thought his safety was in jeopardy by Lilly whome was a neighborhood favorite pet for the past 14 years according to the witness. The witness alleges lilly is a great dog and harmless. This was a hanice act of aanimal cruelty. The Winter Park police department have not charged George Allen Brdock and we demand justice!

I did not correct the absolutely atrocious spelling, but I did add emphasis on a couple of phrases.

Here is the News article from WESH TV in Orlando, which as anyone who saw their coverage of the Zimmerman trial, is not exactly friendly to gun owners:The man who shot the dog has been identified as George Burdock, 70. Burdock was not arrested, police said, because he was defending himself and was licensed to carry a concealed weapon.
According to a police report, Burdock said he shouted a warning to the owner, Ann Elizabeth Christensen, to get the dog, Lilly, under control or he would shoot it. The responding officer said, based on witness reports, Burdock, due to his age, physical condition and prior experience with the dog, acted in self defense and was in fear for his safety and that of his wife and small dog. Christensen said she was about to put Lilly on her leash around 8:30 p.m. when she broke away and started walking towards another dog.

There are multiple witnesses to the events, and conflicting statements from them as to whether or not the dog was being aggressive. There are a number of problems that I have with the petition:

1 The petition is on Whitehouse.gov. This is a purely local matter. The President has no say in the matter.

2 This petition isn't even close to what reportedly happened. They make it sound like the man was running through the neighborhood while brandishing a firearm. and just how would he have shot a dog with an unloaded 38 pistol?)

3 There is a Winter Park ordinance, Section 5-33, parts 1 and 3, which reads:

(1) No domestic animal owner or person having charge, care, custody or control of any domestic animal shall permit, any domestic animal to run at large, upon any public property, or off the premises of the owner.
(3) No domestic animal at-large shall be permitted to cause injury, or threat of injury, to any person, or cause property damage.

According to local news reports, this isn't the first time this woman meant to put the dog on a leash and failed to do so. The man who shot the dog has complained to animal control about the dog being aggressive towards him and his dogs in the past.

There are now protests outside of the man's house.

If you read this article, the woman admits that the dog was being taken for an off leash walk, and the owner was "just about to put her on a leash" when she began running towards the man and his dogs:

Ann Christensen took her fluffy white dog outside for a walk on Kenwood Avenue.She saw a neighbor, who had just returned from shopping at IKEA, and they started chatting.Lilly noticed a couple of small dogs across the street and took off toward them just as Christensen says she was trying to put her on a leash.The man walking the smaller dogs, George Burdock, took out a pistol and shot Lilly in the eye.

There are so many people here going nuts over this, I cannot understand it. Irresponsible dog owner is violating the law by not securing her animal.

EDITED TO ADD: This is the first time I have done this on this blog, but I am locking comments on this post.