Source note: This story is based on reporting by FOX 5 Atlanta, which included statements from dog owner Calvin Willis, Healing for Heroes CEO Piper Hill, and the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, plus a separate WSB-TV report quoting the sheriff’s office. No lawsuit, criminal charge, or disciplinary finding was reported in the sources reviewed at the time this story was prepared.
What was reported
A Cobb County, Georgia man is demanding answers after a Cobb County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed his certified service dog outside a home on Forrest Hill Road in Powder Springs during an attempt to serve an arrest warrant.
FOX 5 Atlanta identified the dog as Phee Phee, a female service dog owned by Calvin Willis. Willis told the station he had owned Phee Phee for about a year and a half and that she was trained to help him with everyday disability-related tasks, including pressing a medical alert button if he passed out, placing herself under his head if he fell, and guiding him home if he became confused.
According to FOX 5, deputies had gone to the home Wednesday to serve an arrest warrant. Willis said the person deputies were seeking no longer lived at the address and that law enforcement had visited the home several times before looking for the same person.
The dog’s service status
FOX 5 reported that Phee Phee was trained by Healing for Heroes. Piper Hill, the organization’s CEO, told the station that Healing for Heroes has trained about 2,000 dogs and that Phee Phee had more than 8,000 hours of training as a service dog.
Willis told FOX 5 that Phee Phee was wearing a large red collar identifying her as a service dog at the time of the shooting. He said he did not understand how deputies did not know she was a service animal.
Owner and trainer statements
Willis disputed the sheriff’s office description of the dog as aggressive. He told FOX 5 that Phee Phee was not aggressive and that there was “no good reason” for deputies to kill her.
Willis also described hearing the shot after Phee Phee moved toward the corner of the house and he called for her to come back. He said Phee Phee was his best friend and a lifeline, and he called for police to receive more training on what to do around service dogs.
Hill also disputed the claim that Phee Phee was aggressive, telling FOX 5 that the dog was “amazing” and one of the top dogs the organization had trained.
Official statement and internal review
The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy discharged a service weapon and fatally wounded what the agency described as an aggressive dog while serving an arrest warrant. The agency said animal-related situations can be distressing and that its thoughts were with those affected.
The sheriff’s office also said that, because the deputy discharged a firearm, the incident is being reviewed by the Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Unit. The agency described the matter as an active internal investigation and said no additional information was available.
What is still unknown
The specific deputy involved has not been publicly identified in the sources reviewed. The sheriff’s office has not publicly detailed what specific actions it claims made Phee Phee aggressive, how many shots were fired, or whether body-camera footage exists or will be released.
It has also not been publicly confirmed in the reviewed sources whether the person named in the arrest warrant ever lived at the Forrest Hill Road address.
Charges, lawsuits, and discipline
No criminal charges against the deputy were reported in the reviewed sources. No civil lawsuit was reported in the reviewed sources. No disciplinary finding was reported, and the sheriff’s office said the matter remained under active internal investigation.
Why it matters
The case raises questions about how deputies verify addresses during warrant service, how they identify service animals, and what training or policy exists for encounters with dogs during law-enforcement operations. Those questions are especially significant when the dog is alleged to have been a trained disability-assistance animal wearing visible service-dog identification.
Added Comments and Questions
Let me guess, the deputy’s body camera was off/broken/not activated, or some other bullshit. Maybe that is not accurate, but it sure sounds like that is what’s coming. Why were they even there at that property? According to the homeowner, the sheriff’s office knew from previous visits that the target of the warrant no longer resided there. It sounds like another aggressive fucked cop to me. Far too many out there. Far too many. A beautiful dog was killed for no reason, and the homeowner has to suffer unimaginable heartache over his lost pet.
A service dog with over 8,000 hours of training, and rated as one of the top three dogs according to Piper Hill, the CEO of Healing for Heroes, the agency that trained Phee Phee. Dog, 8,000 hours of training. Deputy, a few seconds to wipe all that away by ending Phee Phee’s life. Poor dog, fucked cop. Stupid, fucked cop, is probably better.
