Online video shows Colombian soldiers using dog for target practice

Warning: This video is graphic and disturbing

A video posted on the Internet reportedly shows soldiers in Colombia using a dog for target practice.

The video, taken with a cell phone, shows four officers joking as they tie the animal to a tree, shoot it and laugh while it yelps.

Later, the dog — identified in some reports as a trained detection dog — is struck with the butt of a rifle and, once it regains consciousness, appears to be picked up and thrown.

The unnamed soldiers are reported to be from Infantry Battalion Magdalena 27.

The New York Daily News said the incident happened four months ago in the jungle near the town of Pitalito, but didn’t come to light until this past weekend when a video clip was uploaded to YouTube.

Army Colonel Fabian Estevez is quoted in the South American press as saying the dog miraculously survived the incident and had since been treated for its injuries and “was doing fine.”

The four soldiers who were filmed shooting at the dog have been identified, but face no charges, according to Colombia Reports.

“But this is a regrettable and despicable act from the point of view of the National Army,” Estevez said. “Some young soldiers in an unusual game committed an act of indiscipline which will be subject to investigation of military justice.”

Comments

Comment from Starla
Time November 20, 2012 at 1:05 pm

Wow Columbia must be so proud of their “big bad” soldiers. Picking on a tiny terrified dog. Despicable!

Comment from jake klarity
Time November 20, 2012 at 2:20 pm

I don’t know, it looks like a hoax to me… They took something off the end of the rifle (an adaptor for firing blanks) and removed the magazine.. not normal practice for shooting. So it looks like they might have shooting blanks. And they shot from very far away — if they were getting sadistic enjoyment, you’d think they would stand closer so they could see better. On the other hand, if they were faking the shooting, they’d want to be further away to disguise the dog not being hurt, and some making the dog squeal.

The miracle recovery would tend to support the hoax theory

Comment from smoketoomuch
Time November 23, 2012 at 9:36 am

Sick & disgusting either way.

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