Justice for Bonnie and Clyde: Support Lydia

This past Saturday morning, at the training kennel in Washington, NC, Lydia, our beloved owner, suffered a traumatic loss—both of her personal beloved dogs, Bonnie and Clyde, were senselessly killed during a horrific incident by the hand of a state trooper.

While Lydia was waiting for units to arrive after calling 911 and subduing a suspect breaking into her car, a nearby state trooper arrived on the scene alone. Despite Lydia’s clear instructions for the trooper to remain at a safe distance as she held down the suspect, the officer chose to ignore her warnings. Bonnie and Clyde, who (trained to do so) were happily assisting without causing any harm, went to greet the officer, as they were accustomed to being around uniformed officers. They managed to pull the pajama pants off the man attempting to break and enter Lydia’s vehicle, parked right outside her bedroom window, and were playing with them. Unfortunately, however, rather than assessing the situation or waiting for backup, the trooper drew his weapon and opened fire—first on Clyde, shooting him through the eye and the jugular. When Clyde tried to run off, the officer continued to fire. Bonnie, who had been innocently playing with the suspect’s pajama pants, shifted her attention to the shooting noises (likely assuming they were fireworks which she never seemed to mind and in fact enjoyed throughout the years) and came over to greet the officer with her signature full-body wags. Tragically, the officer opened fire on her as well, shooting her in her heart, as she tried to run to safety the officer kept shooting.

Both dogs succumbed to their horrendous injuries.

Anyone who knew Bonnie and Clyde knows that they were more than just dogs to Lydia. They were her heart and soul, the family she always sought to cultivate, her lifeline, her babies. Their loss is not just tragic, but unbearable. This senseless act is yet another example of an officer overstepping his authority, and the pain Lydia is feeling is something no one should have to endure.

The media has covered this incredibly heartbreaking story, but we will not stop here. We are all rising up to make noise on social media about this injustice. We stand united to seek #Justice4BonnieandClyde, and we encourage everyone to help amplify our voices. This tragedy could have been avoided had the officer acted responsibly—waiting for backup, assessing the situation, or simply listening to Lydia when she used her only free hand and instructed him to stay where he was in an attempt to control, not only the suspect she was holding down, but to buy herself a moment to recall the dogs or command them into a down stay to ensure the officer they posed no threat.

Bonnie specifically was more than just a dog. She was Lydia’s personal service dog and support as Lydia struggles with PTSD. Bonnie was her lifeline. She went every where with Lydia from hospital visits, day to day errands and traveling across the states, touching lives and stealing hearts along the way. The loss of Bonnie alone has devastated many across the country and has a much larger impact than anyone can understand. This tragedy has left many heartbroken, distraught and enraged.

This GoFundMe will be launched to assist with legal and attorney fees, funeral/memorial costs, expenses, monthly bills to keep her business/training kennel running etc, as Lydia fights for justice for Bonnie and Clyde. This is a fight we all must stand behind, for them and for the countless others who have suffered similar losses.

Thank you.

-Savvy M.

Attorneys Fees are Unknown as of this moment, we are hoping that they will take it on contingency.

I suffer from severe PTSD and I have lost my family, they were my family. This has also destroyed my new business and I will not be able to financially stand on my own right now as I am seeking psychiatric care.