My heart is aching. On Friday, my best friend Savana’s sweet pittie, Doja, was killed in a senseless act of excessive violence by an off-duty cop.

Savana Campbell, my best friend of 25 years, found baby Doja in a field in April 2020 at just six weeks old and has cared for her every day since. Doja was the sweetest, silliest, hungriest girl I’ve ever known. Everyone who met Doja was enchanted by her demeanor, her boisterousness and her energetic kisses.

However, on November 29, 2024, Doja escaped Savana’s fenced-in backyard. If you know the New Orleans area, you know that the roads and sidewalks are poorly maintained, and this fence had a weak point next to a pothole in the street. Seeing her run off, Savana immediately grabbed her slippers and keys to get Doja into the car, as she had done before.

That evening, Doja was energetic and playful - she darted up to a neighbor's front porch and began wrestling with the neighbor’s dog. Savana ran up onto the porch, apologizing profusely, and grabbed Doja’s collar, spinning her around and dragging her away. At this point, the figure of a large man (later identified as an off-duty Kenner police officer) darkened the doorway. He didn’t say a word - Savana just heard noise and saw lights and smoke as five consecutive shots rang out. At first, Savana didn’t know whether she herself had been hit. It wasn’t until she felt Doja go limp in her arms that she registered what had happened. Savana crumpled, sobbing over Doja’s body, until some kindhearted neighbors came outside to help.

Notably, Doja was recently fully vaccinated and no history of being aggressive. She frequently visited other neighbor's dogs to play with them. This officer had no cause to shoot at Savana and Doja without warning and take the life of a sweet girl before her time.

#justicefordojadog