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I was sitting in my car today on my break and I saw two German Shepards running around. One stayed a good distance away, about half a football field, while the other ventured into the area where we take our breaks. It ran right up to where the picnic table was and took a dump.
First I was annoyed that someone was letting two huge dogs run around, then I was annoyed because the thing took a crap and no owner in sight to clean up after it. I was actually thinking about calling the police when low and behold the "owner" of the dogs walks out from the car wash in our parking lot and it was one of the K9 officers in our town.
When I went back in, I mentioned to my manager what had happened. She politely called the police station and requested that the officer return and clean up after his dog.
About 15 minutes later she approached me and said "well apparently you lied to me, because the cop cannot find the mess his dog made and I look like the a$$hole for complaining." This just made me angry, I'm a lot of things, but a liar is not one of them, and what a stupid thing to lie about anyway!
So off I go outside to show my manager and the police officer where the dog had made his mess. And it was right where I said it would be. I pointed at the pile and walked away to return to work. The police officer then turned to my manager and just started SCREAMING at her. He insisted that the owner of the property (it's a small plaza) gave the police officer permission to let his dogs do their business there (our store is the one responsible for outside clean up as our customers are the ones that use the outside facilities) and as long as he has the property owner's permission he can let the dogs do whatever he wants. And that he wasn't the problem here.
I was half way back to the building, but this guy wasn't stopping. He was screaming at her in the middle of a public parking lot in full view of customers. I couldn't just leave her there. I mean I was irritated by her earlier comment, but she's only 28 years old and five feet tall. This man had diarrhea of the mouth. He was right in her face screaming at her. So I turned started walking back toward her and said "I'm not here to argue, I have no knowledge of your agreement with the property owner, but unless I'm mistaken the villiage has ordinaces governing 1) an animal deficating on property used by the public and 2) animals not on a leash. At least one of these dogs was out of your sight for no fewer than five minutes. You had no idea that your dog actually went to the bathroom, let alone where or that there was actually a person sitting right here to see the whole thing. The fact that I had to come out and show YOU where a dog in YOUR control went to the bathroom because you couldn't find it yourself tells ME that at the very least you are violating K9 handler proceedures." I took my manager's arm and we went back into work.
When our General Manager became aware of the issue, she insisted my manager call the Sheriff's Department to complain. They refused to do anything about it.
But I'm sitting here now with a pit in my stomach the size of Texas. If anyone else had addressed me in this manner I would have called the police. The dog annoyance is gone, his attitude has me greatly disturbed. I was raised by a police officer. I saw the way my father interacted with the public and those people that worked for him. There is no way he would have tolerated that behavior.
I wanted to stop at the police station on the way home from work to complain directly to his supervisor. At the very least he owes us both an apology. I know that I could contact the committee that governs the villiage to complain. But do I want to start a war with the police force? I know the first thing they would do is ticket us for too many vehicles. You are only permitted three registered vehicles on your property at a time, we have five, we have six drivers in this house.
When did it become acceptable for a police officer to verbally assault anyone? In all honesty I have no idea what the conversation was before I came outside, but she had not even uttered a word when he turned on her and started screaming.
So what would you do? Would you file the complaints knowing that nothing will be done and bring grief on yourself in the process?
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I've been married for 24 years and have four wonderful children.
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