Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Youngstown State University, 2023, Department of Criminal Justice and Consumer Sciences

The following thesis focuses on problems and solutions pertaining to police officer-canine fatal interactions; commonly referred to as the puppycide. The term puppycide is used to refer to the amount of dogs that die at the hands of the police (Kaatz, 2014). To begin, there is an overview of different case law pertaining to these fatal interactions. These cases are used to help demonstrate the problems these interactions are causing for communities, law enforcement personnel and departments across the United States. Along with this, Ohio's Peace Officer Basic Training Curriculum, specifically pertaining to companion animal encounters, is analyzed and compared to other readily available resources and training guides for police officers. After examining and analyzing all these resources, the research question of, “what could be modified in order to address the puppycide in the state of Ohio” is addressed and discussed. This question is answered by introducing modifications to the current Ohio Peace Officer Training curriculum. These changes include more in-depth training for police academy cadets and the inclusion of lectures on dog behaviors and body language for police departments. Along with these modifications, a police officer canine encounter report log and database are also introduced in order to ensure that the changes within the classroom are being reflected within the community.

Committee: Monica Merrill PhD (Advisor); Christopher Bellas PhD (Committee Member); Charles VanDyke EdD (Committee Member) Subjects: Criminology; Education; Law