Can a cop shoot an injured dog on the side of the road in California?

[dillon261]

In California, can a cop kill(shoot) a hurt dog on the side of the road even if the owner cannot be found? The dog had a hurt back leg and hobbled to the side of the road and when the officer got there he said he was going to put a round into its head because there's nothing they could do. According to CA PENAL § 597f, "Every sick, disabled, infirm, or crippled animal, except a dog or cat, may, if after due search no owner can be found therefor, be killed by the officer. all injured cats and dogs found without their owners in a public place directly to a veterinarian known by the officer or agency to be a veterinarian that ordinarily treats dogs and cats for a determination of whether the animal shall be immediately and humanely destroyed or shall be hospitalized under proper care and given emergency treatment." I am not sure if this is still in effect though.

[Citicop]

I can't say about California, but for Missouri, this would be a matter of Department Policy rather than state law.

I am allowed to discharge my firearm to put down an injured animal.

[L-1]

The Section you are quoting

Any peace officer, humane society officer, or animal
control officer shall convey all injured cats and dogs found without
their owners in a public place directly to a veterinarian known by
the officer to be a veterinarian who ordinarily treats dogs and cats
for a determination of whether the animal shall be immediately and
humanely destroyed or shall be hospitalized under proper care and
given emergency treatment.

has been changed to 597.1 (c) (1)

However, there is another section 597.1 (e) which reads

Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any peace
officer, humane society officer, or any animal control officer may,
with the approval of his or her immediate superior, humanely destroy
any stray or abandoned animal in the field in any case where the
animal is too severely injured to move or where a veterinarian is not
available and it would be more humane to dispose of the animal.

So yes, a California officer may dispatch an animal in the field subject to the above circumstances. However as Citicop said, a lot will depend on department policy. My agency has an entire manual on how to humanely put down various animals including diagrams of what spot and angle on the head or neck to direct the shot.