Requiring Dog-Encounter Training for Police Officers (Missouri)
H.B. 1719 (“Teddy’s Law”)
Missouri state legislation would require police officers to take training on how to properly handle canine encounters following a 2024 incident in which Teddy, a 13-pound blind and deaf dog, was shot and killed by an officer after wandering away from his family’s home.
Status
The Animal Legal Defense Fund supports this bill.
Sponsors: State Rep. Richard West (R-102)
Introduction Date: December 1, 2025
In the United States, one of the most common reasons a police officer discharges their weapon is to shoot at a dog. The Department of Justice has estimated that as many as 10,000 dogs are shot and killed by police each year. Courts around the country have recognized for several decades that many of these shootings are unjustified.
A bill being considered by the Missouri General Assembly, H.B. 1719, known as “Teddy’s Law,” would require that a course on how to handle encounters with canines be added to the existing basic training for police officers. It prescribes four hours of training on canine behavior, humane methods of handling canines, and the use of non-lethal methods to avoid and defend against potential canine attacks.
This bill was prompted by a May 2024 incident in which a police officer shot and killed Teddy, a 13-pound blind and deaf shih tzu who had wandered away from his family’s home. Teddy’s tragic death sparked outrage in the town of Sturgeon, Missouri, and shed light on a larger problem throughout the state and country. After Teddy’s tragic death, the Animal Legal Defense Fund provided a grant to cover the costs of a lawsuit brought against the city of Sturgeon on behalf of Teddy’s grieving guardian. The lawsuit resulted in one of the largest settlements of its kind for the police shooting of a family dog.
Most incidents in which dogs are shot by law enforcement could be prevented with proper officer training on how to de-escalate encounters with dogs and read dog behavior. ALDF has been involved in this issue for many years. In 2015, we helped pass a law in Texas mandating statewide animal encounter training for all police officers that reduced the number of such shootings by over 90%. In 2016, we also helped fund the documentary Of Dogs And Men, which explored solutions to the problem and featured the organization’s current executive director, Chris Green. In 2020 Green also authored and helped pass an American Bar Association resolution recommending comprehensive animal encounter training for all law enforcement officers.
Why is this legislation important?
The killing of companion dogs by police officers is an unnecessary and preventable problem. The goal of providing the proper training to police officers is to prevent such tragedies from ever happening to protect dogs and their families, the public, and the officers themselves.
For more information about animal protection legislation in Missouri and opportunities to take action for animals, visit our Missouri state page.
