Owner angry her 4 dogs were shot

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas - It has been a tough road to recovery for a German Shepherd dog named Hugo. He has been in the hospital for about a month after being shot.
“Unfortunately for Hugo, his entire hip was shattered," said her owner,  Julie Bernet. "They had to go in and put a plate in his hip along with 13 screws."

Bernet is a dog breeder and she specializes in training “working dogs.” Many of her German Shepherds are hired for search and rescue missions and other service positions. Hugo was one of four of her dogs shot recently. Her award-winning border patrol dog Goody was also shot and died of his injuries.
"A dog is still a living being. To many people it is considered like their children," Bernet said.. "I do not know that I will ever be the same after this experience. Luckily, I still have Hugo and Ian but I will never be able to replace Goody.”

Authorities are investigating but said this may be a case of “he said – she said.” Bernet said her neighbor shot the dogs but the sheriff’s office said they got a report the dogs were threatening the neighbor’s livestock.
“If they go outside of that property and they are posing a threat to people or livestock or other animals, then that property owner has the right to defend themselves against the dog,” said Deputy Erickson with the Johnson County Sheriff's Office.

Bernet said since she went public with her story she has received hundreds of letters from people outraged at the situation.

"With any story there is one side, a second side and the truth in the middle and that is part out what we are doing and looking into as we investigate this,” said Erickson.

Hugo’s medical bills are in the thousands but he will survive.

Officials said this is a tough case.

Sex Scandal: Parents react to lawsuit against Ratigan, Diocese

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Parents of a young girl are suing the Kansas City-St. Joseph Catholic Diocese while others applaud the move.

The lawsuit, which will be filed Thursday, accuses the diocese, Bishop Robert Finn and Father Shawn Ratigan of a cover-up.Ratigan, currently in the Clay County Detention facing possession of child pornography charges, now faces a lawsuit along with his former employer.

“I’m not shocked because it seems like they were hiding a lot of things and now things are coming out,” said Thu Meng, a parent whose child attends St. Patrick’s School, where Ratigan was once assigned. The lawsuit comes from the parents of a 7-year-old girl. Lawyers, in a release, said the girl is a victim. Those lawyers said Ratigan, while working for a church in Easton, Missouri, took pictures of the girl when she was 2- or 3-years-old. The suit alleges Ratigan and Bishop Robert Finn, trying to avoid a church scandal, concealed sexually inappropriate photos found on Ratigan’s computer.

When asked for their opinions about the matter, parents leaving St. Patrick’s School did not mince words Wednesday.
“Good for them (the parents filing the lawsuit),” said Matthew Copple, a parent at the school. “The diocese needs to be held accountable.”
“I hope that the diocese is forced to change everything around, their policies, procedures, everything,” Meng said.
“The teachers here obviously saw something going on and tried to get something done about it and the diocese was silent,” Copple said.

That changed last week when a letter from the St. Patrick’s School principal surfaces. It detailed numerous allegations against Ratigan, even saying he “fit the profile of a child predator.” Members of the bishop’s staff knew about the letter for a year. However, they did nothing. Friday, Bishop Finn apologized.
“I have to change,” Bishop Finn said.
His words could not stop one lawsuit. However, St. Patrick’s parents hope the diocese response changes everything.