A Raleigh family is mourning after a Wake sheriff’s deputy entered home and shot its dog

A Wake County sheriff’s deputy serving a summons shot and killed a dog after it bit him, the Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

The deputy, whose name was not released, entered a home on Lord Berkley Road in Raleigh when the family’s Belgian Malinois bit him. He was treated for unspecified injuries at the scene.

The Sheriff’s Office did not provide details, but confirmed that the civil summons was for a debt and the deputy was on administrative leave pending the investigation.

According to a report by WRAL, the dog’s name was Zelda, and she was 9 years old. Her owners weren’t home at the time of the shooting. They report that security footage showed the deputy entering the home while no one was there.

Sheriff Willie Rowe acknowledged the family’s grief, saying, “We understand this is a difficult situation for all involved.”

In December, a Raleigh police officer fatally shot a family’s 5-year-old husky outside their home on Alder Grove Lane while investigating a reported stolen vehicle.

This story was originally published April 11, 2025 at 5:32 PM.