You, too, are putting words in my mouth. But, you simultaneously reaffirm what my husband reported to me--the dog was not, in fact, well controlled when it was placed in the vehicle. If it were, it would not have been able to get out, correct?
But, back to the leash itself, which I think is indicative of the owner's lackadaisical attitude towards the care and control of his dog.
Let's say you're walking along on a trail. You come across a woman with a large dog on one of these little zippy leashes. The dog becomes aggressive, lunges at you and bites, all while the woman is working furiously to keep her dog under control. Guess what. Legally, that woman did not have her dog under control, making her automatically at fault. Whenever you go somewhere with your dog and there's a sign that says "Leash law in effect" the law doesn't mean a string attached to the animal is suitable, the law means that whatever you use, you had better have full control of the animal, and that's generally considered to be a leash that is no longer than 6', made of material that can withstand the given animal.
I take the care of the animals we own very seriously. To imply that I don't care, or believe that cops should be able to just shoot any dog is completely missing my point(s). To further take my points and contort them to mean that I condone is again quite wrong.
However, yes, the cops in California and any state can pretty much shoot ANY DOG they feel like shooting, and all they have to say is that they felt threatened. And the owners, I can guarantee you, will have no legal recourse. Period.