Los Banos Animal Control Officer Accused of Brutal Dog Abuse in Viral Video

LOS BANOS, Calif. (FOX26) — A video circulating online that appears to show a Los Banos animal control officer abusing a dog has drawn attention and criticism.

This incident happened on December 23rd on the 2100 block of Palermo in Los Banos.

The Los Banos police say the officer followed protocol and that the video circulating is being taken out of context.

The three-second video that was initially posted did not cover the full 10-minute interaction, the department says.

"His approach was very calm. He was, even at the beginning, although the dog doesn't understand what he's saying, he's telling him, Hey, I don't want to hurt you. There was no ill intent at all throughout the entirety of the video," said Justin Melden, a Commander with the Los Banos Police Department.

At the beginning of the incident, the animal control officer uses a snappy snare, a tool used to safely restrain animals that may be aggressive.

In the video, you can hear the officer's pleas.

Once the dog is down, the officer patiently waits for the dog to get back up.

About two and a half minutes go by before the officer drags him back to the car.

For our accountability question, FOX26 asked if the officer did the right thing.

"What is the department's policy on handling that type of situation? And did that officer essentially follow that policy?" FOX26 News Reporter Dania Romero asked.

"Yeah, so with dangerous or at-large animals, he did follow our policy. There are no violations that we've identified at this point," said Melden.

An independent review was done within the department, which found the officer, who has over 20 years of animal control experience, did not break protocol.

"While the footage shown during the clip may be concerning when viewed without any context, the complete review confirms that no misconduct occurred and no disciplinary action is warranted," said Melden.

The owner also initially warned law enforcement that the dog was violent.

Now, police say the owner will get a citation for having an animal at large.

Los Banos police say the dog is currently at the animal shelter in perfect health.

Neither the dog nor the officer received any injuries.

Article Originally Published At: https://kmph.com/news/local/video-of-los-banos-officer-handling-dog-sparks-controversy-police-defend-actions