Kansas dog owners sue police for ‘unwarranted’ killing of pets last year
Two dog owners in Kansas recently filed suit after police officers shot and killed their dogs during interactions that could have ended without their deaths, the suits claim.
A couple from Lansing and a woman from Leavenworth both had their dogs fatally shot by police officers last year. The suits claim the officers’ use of deadly force against the household pets was unwarranted and violated their Fourth Amendment rights as unlawful seizure.
Kansas City area Lawyer Katie Barnett said that in 2025 alone, her office received three calls from clients who had their dogs killed.
“Officers certainly have their own safety in mind as well, but just thinking with their weapon, you know, is unreasonable when there are so many other less lethal methods to handle dogs,” Barnett said.
Lansing police officer shoots, kills dog
In a suit filed July 3, Michael Lewis and Deena McLaughlin said they owned a medium brown mix-breed terrier dog named Axel for about a month last year in Lansing.
On May 10, 2024, two Lansing police officers responded to a call about an at-large dog chasing cars and barking. The initial report did not indicate that the dog was being aggressive toward a person or another animal, the suit says.
The officers initially tried to capture the dog with a catch pole, but according to neighbor accounts, they gave up after about two minutes, the suit claims.
After checking where the dog’s owners lived, the officers responded to their home on East Beth Street. Axel was there, standing in the driveway.
One officer got out a baton as they stepped onto McLaughlin’s driveway and walked toward Axel. The dog began to bark and wag its tail, according to the suit. McLaughlin called for the dog to come back and closely followed the dog as it approached officers.
Instead of retreating or asking McLaughlin to restrain Axel, an officer then allegedly pointed his firearm at the dog, the suit claims. Axel moved behind the officer, and the officer with his baton drawn shouted “don’t do it, don’t do it, no no, don’t,” before the other officer allegedly fired two shots into Axel’s hindquarters, the suit says.
McLaughlin backed away and held her hands to her face as the officer who shot the dog said “Oh my God” repeatedly. The other officer then allegedly said, “Finish him.”
McLaughlin then walked toward Axel and tried to take control of her injured dog, but police didn’t allow her, the suit says. One of the officers allegedly told her “we need to finish it.”
An officer then allegedly walked up to Axel and shot him in the head, killing him, the suit says.
“At no time during the encounter between Axel and (the officers) did Axel show any aggression towards (the officers), only avoidance,” the suit claims. “Axel was on his owner’s property and barked at the approaching officers, displaying normal dog behavior, but (the officer) kept advancing and drew his service weapon, even when the owner exited the home to talk to the police and take control of her dog.”
The suit seeks compensatory damages, attorney’s fees and expenses, and an order from the court requiring officers to receive training on how to handle dogs.
The city of Lansing and its attorneys declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The seizure of a family pet and dog by injuring or killing them can give to a claim for an unlawful seizure of property in violation of the Fourth Amendment, the suit says.
“We have now a couple decades of case law that tell us what’s reasonable and unreasonable,” Barnett said.
Two dogs shot, killed by Leavenworth officer
A woman who owned two dogs, named Georgia Peach and Bolt, filed suit June 18, claiming a Leavenworth police officer unlawfully seized her property by shooting and killing her dogs.
The suit alleges that on Sept. 10, 2024, a Leavenworth police officer responded to a call about two loose dogs that had allegedly bitten a person. The officer parked her patrol car in the area and got a catch pole.
Soon after, she saw two dogs walking into an alley near the home of their owner. The dogs were groomed and clean, and were clearly pets, according to the suit.
Despite the two dogs showing no aggression at any point prior to the shooting, the officer reported over her radio that one of the dogs was aggressive and tried to approach her, the suit says.
The officer walked slowly into the alley, where Georgia Peach and Bolt barked, then trotted in the officer’s direction. The officer dropped her catch pole, drew her weapon, said “stop” and immediately fired four shots, two shots in each dog’s head, killing them, the suit claims.
After further investigation of the dog bite, law enforcement discovered the individual involved had a small scrape and a puncture wound from what appeared to be a single tooth. The individual did not need medical attention and did not wish to press charges, the suit says.
Hannah Branson, also represented by Barnett, claims the officer violated her Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, and that the city of Leavenworth failed to properly train the officer.
The city of Leavenworth and its attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Barnett said police are often equipped with less lethal methods, like using batons, OC (pepper) spray, catch poles or umbrellas, to handle dogs on calls for service.
In the lawsuits against Lansing and Leavenworth, Barnett claims the respective cities failed to properly train their officers in using less lethal methods. The suits seek court orders for better training, in addition to making her clients whole.
This story was originally published August 8, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
