Dog shot and killed by Cobb County sheriff’s deputy

A beloved service dog was shot and killed Wednesday when Cobb County Sheriff deputies tried to serve an arrest warrant.

Cobb County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release that a deputy shot the dog because it was being “aggressive.”

Calvin Willis, the dog’s owner, has strongly denied that.

Willis posted two videos on his Facebook account that shows his dog, Ophelia, playing with and walking another dog.

“Show me where she’s aggressive?” he said in one of the captions.

Calvin Willis and his service dog Ophelia. (Courtesy of Healing4Heroes)

Willis also said in a Facebook post that Cobb County officers had been to the house multiple times looking for the same person and had seen Ophelia before. The post added that the officers approached the property from the back of the house before shooting and killing the dog.

Willis did not respond to requests for an interview on Friday.

The department said the shooting is under review by their internal affairs, and that the investigation is active.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office declined to comment further.

Willis was connected with Ophelia through Healing4Heroes, a Georgia-based organization that trains service dogs and provides them to veterans.

A spokesperson for the organization said the dog was almost 3 and had been with the program after she was rescued in 2024. They said Ophelia was matched with Willis last year through their program.

“Ophelia was an incredible service dog. This is such a tragedy, and so very disappointing.”