A lot of people would treat their dog like this
You've caught me off-guard. I get your argument, though. Cops in some areas shoot unarmed, non-resisting civilians. Why even bother with all the dog stories cops seem infamous in the US for?
There are a couple reasons. One main reason I already elucidated and is fairly obvious. An officer who would torture or kill an animal outside a need for self defense will likely do the same to a human, and this is no place for a person deciding the fate of people's lives. The second less apparent reason is the fact that people aren't yet conditioned to ignore the suffering of animals. The suffering of humans is almost invisible to most people now days because society has taught us humans are disposable. How many times have you seen one of those people who cries during the commercials for animal abuse and adoptions and then walk past a hobo an hour later being beaten by police and tell him to get a job. The reaction of people seeing cops execute family pets is not only a symptom of what the institution of law enforcement has become but could very well effect people enough to act for a change instead of reacting with despondence and apathy.
