On February 9, a dog was taken to the animal emergency room in Denton County. The dog had been "injured," according minutes from the Denton County Commissioners Court, "while deputies of the Denton County Sheriff's Office performed their patrol duties."

In a closed session, the Denton County Commissioners agreed to pay a $5,395 bill from the emergency room for treating the dog. All Denton County Judge Mary Horn would say is that the dog didn't belong to the sheriff's department. "It was an individual's dog," said Horn. She wouldn't answer other specifics about the hospital bill. "I'm not at liberty to discuss it because it was an executive session item."

So how does one cause over $5,000 worth of injuries to an animal? By shooting it.

The Denton County Sheriff's office says that officers were responding to a call when a dog charged them. One of the officers fired in self-defense, says the sheriff's office. "The dog charged the officer, and the officer defended himself and fired," Sandi Brackeen, the spokeswoman for the sheriff's office, writes in an email. The dog was treated for the gunshot wound and released back to the owner, she says.

Send your story tips to the author, Amy Silverstein.