Totally by accident I picked this day to write this post about 2 police dogs, ironic (Photo from Miami Herald):
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| Homestead home of Lana and Gunner, Sweetwater's police dogs. I wonder what the folding chairs are for? This was taken 10/13 at Lynda Bell's home. What about in the hot weather, do they find a fan and aim it at the dogs? |
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| Here are the two Sweetwater Police dogs hanging out in the shade of Officer Jenna Mendez's (Lynda Bell's Daughter) trailer also in the backyard. It is illegal to have people living in a trailer in your yard, so I am told, but of course this is Homestead, so Lynda's daughter couldn't possibly be living there almost a year, something would have been done by code enforcement if she were. The Bloodhound Gunner was donated by the Jimmy Ryce Center for victims of predators. Gunner was missing for awhile but was later found. The other dog is Lana. |
Captain Ignacio Menocal of Sweetwater said he found a bark collar inside Jenna Bell's vehicle, Aside from that the vehicle was clean and the dog was playful. I spoke to a K-9 Officer from Aventura on February 12th who had her dog with her. She said all the dogs in Aventura's K-9 unit live with the officers inside their homes. They do not use shock collars and when I showed the officer the picture of how the dogs are kept at Lynda Bell's house she was pretty much shocked. She said "I guess every city does it their own way." I talked to a City of Miami K-9 officer on Feb. 16. He said his children are afraid of his dog so he keeps it outside his house like the Bell's do except without the folding chairs on the ground. I asked him if he uses a shock collar? "He said why would I use a shock collar? What would be the purpose? He said there is no reason." I told him that the Aventura police officer keeps hers in the house. He said his dog is vicious and trained to kill. He didn't appear to like his dog that much. He called him a killer dog. The Aventura officer really liked her dog.
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| Note the overturned white water bucket. Note the water dish in the small black cage. Note the folding chairs. What for? Someone too lazy to clean up the dog's area? Note the poor German Shepherd. One neighbor said the 2 Police dogs barked day and night but the shock collars helped. A neighbor said: "I do have pictures of Gunner locked in small cage (seen open here) that he is been put in frequently and in my opinion for way too long during the day. Not every day infrequently mind you. But still much too small of an enclosure." What is all that debris around the edge of the cages? Does anyone sweep over there? |
I spoke to Captain Rolando Perez of the Sweetwater Police Department Feb. 18th. He said he talked to all the neighbors in the area and none had complaints about the police dogs kept at the Bell House except 1 (Maybe they are all afraid of retribution or intimidated by a Sweetwater officer in Homestead). Perez had no problem with the way the dogs were kept in the backyard. He said it was clear of feces. He said the small black cage was for feeding purposes only, disputing the neighbor's observations. Sweetwater's Police Department stands by its K9 Officer Jenna Mendez 100%. The Police Chief Jesus Menocal did a good job of covering the bases even providing both dogs with a vet visit - both were in good health. Funny aside, I told Captain Perez I spoke to Jesus Menocal (I said Hey-Sus. He said "I don't know him." I said he is your police chief. He said, oh, I didn't know his first name.
One of the neighbors said: "Gunner at many times is confined in cage barely suited for travel based on size. They are never with human companionship and after numerous complaints they applied SHOCK collars that accordingly are on HIGH. Sounds it as they wail. Dogs are at residence always. There is a male at home who has habit of screaming and kicking cage when someone finally gets upset at residence enough to address issue." Wasn't Mark Bell, Lynda Bell's husband, arrested for some kind of problem with his dog 1/20/77 - he was convicted and paid a fine. Curiously he doesn't remember what he did.
The neighbor told me recently that things have much improved over there at the Bell home. Maybe my ongoing investigation prompted some changes and improved human behavior.
There does not appear to be any policy from department to department in Miami Dade County on police dog care and I don't think these dogs are being abused (unless shock collars are abuse - I do not know) however Lynda Bell's yard is slovenly in my opinion. Captain Perez mentioned the folding chairs Feb. 18th and that is 4 months since the photos were taken. Clean up the area please and get rid of the damn folding chairs!!
