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Loading...Police Officer Rescues Dog From Euthanasia, Loses Job
Lars Bo Lomholt is a true hero.
When the Danish police officer heard that Thor, a German shepherd and the only companion of a recent widow, was about to be euthanized, he went to the kennel where the dog was being held, seized the animal and took him to an undisclosed location.
Instead of being recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty, 20-year police veteran Lomholt is facing possible termination.
As you can imagine, this has made a lot of animal lovers angry. A petition launched by Care2 to save Lomholt’s job has garnered almost 9,000 signatures from animal activists worldwide.
The Copenhagen Post originally reported that a man disguised as a police officer had kidnapped Thor from his holding cell. The truth was uncovered later: an animal lover who happened to be a police officer had decided to save the German shepherd.
Why was this adorable seven-year-old dog about to be killed?
From examiner.com:
The tragic story of seven-year-old German shepherd Thor began in Sept. 2012 when his human companion Jette was out for her customary walk with her leashed dog. Jette’s husband had died, and Thor had meant everything to him; the dog was the constant and comforting emotional link to Jette’s past. As the two walked quietly in the neighborhood, a small dog ran out and momentarily scared Thor.
According to the Copenhagen Post, the two dogs tangled with each other, and the small dog suffered a small bite. The owners exchanged information; shortly after Jette paid a fine and thought the incident was in the past.
A few months later, three policemen showed up and claimed Thor was a vicious dog based on Danish law referencing the small dog’s bite turned into an infection which required substantial veterinary care. A decision was issued to euthanize Thor despite expert evaluation of the dog stating Thor had just reacted the way any dog surprised and scared would react in any sudden unexpected encounter.
This expert opinion came from dog advocates Fair Dog, who protested that the police were in the wrong. As a result of their contention that Thor was merely exhibiting natural behavior, a new court date was set up for Thor.
However, police authorities ignored the fact that this court date had been set up, and instead announced that Thor would be euthanized last Wednesday. Just in time, Officer Lars Bo Lomholt arrived at the shelter that evening in uniform, and the dog was released to him. Apparently the dog is doing as well as can be expected, given the circumstances.
Officer Lars Bo Lomholt is being disciplined because he went against the decision of his superiors and chose to rescue Thor. Is it right that he might be fired for carrying out what he considered the morally correct course of action?
I have no idea why rescuing a dog from certain death, to return to its owner who is in mourning for her husband, is grounds for dismissal. It’s well documented that pets offer wonderful support to us humans when we are depressed, sick or lonely. The companionship alone is one helpful aspect: having a dog means that you are never alone. Taking care of a pet means you have a responsibility, which can pull you out of a depression. Then there’s the physical health aspect: several studies have shown that owning a dog can lower blood pressure and reduce stress.
This widow needs her dog, a connection to the past she shared with her husband.
And Lomholt is a hero to be celebrated because he did the right thing. We need more police officers like him.
If you agree, please sign our petition, demanding that Lars Bo Lomholt keep his job.
Care2 Related Coverage
Read more: copenhagen, denmark, euthanasia of pets, german shepherd, lars bo holholt, pet therapy, police officer
Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/larsbo.lomholt
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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599 comments
+ add your ownInspiring man, thank you.
Inspiring man, thank you.
We need more people like Lars - he deserves an award.
Punishing heart and an act of kindness once again. I hope care2's petition makes a big difference with the outcome of the action against him; so many of them have.
Thank you for sharing.
Fault a human being for being a humanitarian? Who cares whether or not he was a policeman. We need more people like Lars in this world!
I think it was different in this case because there was no doubt that this dog would die if he didn't do something. There was no wondering if things would work out and if there was another way. It was literally, should this dog live or should this dog die.
The analogy with human abusers doesn't quite work since no matter what, a dog is innocent. The human abuser wasn't being let go from a death sentence. It's erroring on the side of caution to keep wives and children away from a man that has hurt them in the past. But this was an innocent (even if the dog did bite) that just needed to be properly looked after.
Diane - my analogy is no more or less stupid than yours comparing this to a Judge ruling what will happen to children. You said "in this case, he did the "right" thing, but he still did it the "wrong way". My point is still the same....many people did the right thing in the wrong way going against THE LAW.
You also said, "Cops have been known to have entered the wrong house, shot at innocent people, and there are now law suits up the royal YING YANG because of those poor and hasty decisions." And do you really believe that these officers decided which house to enter on their own?...umm, no they were simply FOLLOWING ORDERS!
I still hope my fate never lies in your hands.
Robynne, that has to be one of the dumbest analogies I've ever read. There is a vast difference between saving humans from the hands of a madman dictator thanIf taking property (dogs are still considered "property") while supposedly operating as a public official. If he had done this on his own time, not having gone completely AGAINST orders of his superiors, that would have been one thing, but he decided to take things into his own hands. If he had even had a friend get the dog, his job wouldn't have been on the line. He made his decisions based on his own compulsive choice and to his superiors, that meant he might do it again. What if the next time, he had to decide to use lethal force and decided that it was "justified" only to find out later it was the wrong person? Cops have been known to have entered the wrong house, shot at innocent people, and there are now law suits up the royal YING YANG because of those poor and hasty decisions.
Well Diane I hope my fate is never in your hands then. By your logic many, many, MANY more people, especially children would have died in the holocaust. Because many different people chose to do what they believed was right, instead of what was 'law'.
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