Former Pittsburgh “Dog Cop” Files Lawsuit Against Department

“No male officer in Zone 3 was burdened with these onerous and humiliating requirements,” the lawsuit alleges.

A former Pittsburgh police officer known for investigating animal abuse cases has filed a lawsuit against the city, saying two supervisors worked to create a work environment so hostile that she felt she had no choice but to retire.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the lawsuit was filed earlier this week on behalf of former Pittsburgh Police Officer Christine Luffey. Her claim was filed less than two years after the city launched an investigation into her allegations; officials found that her complaint likely had merit, yet failed to take any meaningful disciplinary action in response.

Luffey, notes the Post-Gazette, worked in law enforcement for about 30 years. During that time, she developed a positive relationship by focusing on animal abuse-related cases, community outreach, and engagement.

“Fellow officers and residents nicknamed her ‘the dog cop,’ a label she embraced with pride,” the lawsuit states.

In September 2023, when Luffey was still working with the agency, a new commander was put in charge of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police’s Zone 3 station. He and a female lieutenant, both of whom are described as having disdain for other female officers, “began working […] to make [Luffey’s] life miserable.”

The two “fired their first shot” at Luffey when they disciplined her for an incident that had occurred several months early. The supervisors claimed that, when Luffey and another officer were called to the scene of a fight in Downtown Pittsburgh, Luffey “failed to intervene and assist,” instead choosing to take pictures with her cellphone.

In a report, which was requested by both supervisors, Luffey stated that the fight had been subdued by the time that she arrived, and that, as her body-camera’s battery had died, she used her smartphone for identification purposes.

However, in a later meeting with the two supervisors, Luffey was told “that she was incompetent and a coward [and] that she would be closely watched moving forward.” Luffey was also informed that she would not be able to take or handle any animal-related cases without obtaining prior permission from her supervisors.

Luffey’s lawsuit claims that she was ordered to take remedial training and prepare an outline of work activities each week. Her male colleague, who also responded to the call of a fight in progress, was not subjected to any disciplinary action.

Aside from being bound by bureaucratic restraints, Luffey was denied the use of a patrol vehicle and instructed to submit criminal complaints in advance.

“No male officer in Zone 3 was burdened with these onerous and humiliating requirements,” the lawsuit alleges.

Some of Luffey’s colleagues said that she had “a target on her back,” and that the new lieutenant and commander were hoping to force her into an early retirement. The supervisors allegedly called Luffey “useless,” said that her employment served “no purpose,” and that she was, on the whole, a “waste of a body.”

Luffey filed a formal complaint with the city at the end of 2023. Several months later, in February 2024, the Pittsburgh Department of Human Resources concluded that Luffey’s complaint against the lieutenant had merit but “refused to find [the commander] had engaged in misconduct” despite the fact that he “worked hand-in-hand” with the female lieutenant.

“Remarkably, the city then immediately closed its investigation,” the lawsuit states.

Sources

Former Pittsburgh ‘dog cop’ sues city for allowing ‘humiliating and intimidating’ work environment

Former Pittsburgh police officer files lawsuit against bureau, the city, citing discrimination