Animal Control officer in Brunswick County shoots family dog

This is TOTALLY OUTRAGEOUS behavior, ESPECIALLY for an ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER. Apparently the Animal Control in Brunswick County (and probably elsewhere) need to be educated about companion animals! Also, why didn't the officer go to his car and grab a rope? He COULD have 'lassoed' the old, blind, deaf Stoley and pulled him out of the water. I mean, that's what normal people do when they see someone drowning. As far as the dog walking in circles and being deaf.... it's pretty easy to tell-- even from a distance-- that a canine is aged. VERY easy to tell, as a matter of fact. That is, if one knows ANYTHING about dogs. And the animal COULD have been walking in circles because he was INJURED or a myriad of other reasons, including inner ear infection. The Animal Control Officer thought the dog wasn't a dog but a coyote???? ARE YOU KIDDING????? Idiot. My deepest, most sincere condolences to the Gushman family.