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When Paige Briggs learned the Wake County deputy who shot and killed her dog was being allowed to return to duty, she was stunned. Her heart, already broken, now had to carry the weight of injustice too.
Back in April, everything seemed normal. Paige was out of town for work, and her husband and kids had started their day as usual. Hours later, that peace was shattered. A deputy with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office entered their home without a warrant and opened fire on their dog, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois named Zelda.
Zelda had been confined to the kitchen. Security footage from the family’s home captured the deputy stepping onto the porch to serve a civil summons. Zelda was clearly barking inside.
“Hey, anybody home? Sheriff’s Office,” the deputy can be heard saying.
The deputy claims the home appeared to have been broken into, and when he entered, the dog bit him. But that was impossible since the dog was confined and posed no threat.
Paige said it’s clear on the footage that Zelda was barking from inside the house, never loose, never posing a threat. Moments later, gunshots rang out. The dog they loved so deeply was gone.
“There are constant memories of her all through our house,” Paige said quietly, still trying to process what happened.
What made things worse was hearing that the deputy would soon be back at work with no consequences. The family’s attorney confirmed that the deputy returned to his position after being on administrative leave for just over two months.
Paige believes that someone who could do something like that should not be allowed to carry a gun or wear a badge. “We are devastated and disgusted,” she said. “The fact that he’s going back to the same job like nothing happened is just too much to take in.”
The family also claims their backyard security camera recorded a conversation that left them even more disturbed. In the footage, a supervisor is heard asking the deputy whether he heard the dog barking. He denied it.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying, “Following a thorough review of the surrounding circumstances and after notifying the family of this decision, we have determined that the deputy involved will remain employed. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to moving forward responsibly and in service to our community.”
But for the Briggs family, that’s not good enough.
“We just wanted to see justice served,” Paige said. “To know that there were consequences. That he would be held accountable.”
Their attorney says they’re exploring every possible legal avenue to seek answers and, most importantly, to honor the memory of a dog who meant the world to them. She wasn’t just about a pet. Zelda was family.
