The question of whether the approaching ATF agents fired on the Davidians' dogs has arisen from time to time--largely in the context of whether these shots might have been the first shots of the gunfight. That the dogs were shot is indisputable: during the criminal trial several agents testified to shooting them:

Trial transcript at 2317 (ATF Agent Petrilli)

A. I began to fire when I was somewhere in this area (indicating) in front of these cars. There was a dog there that was attempting to jump over the fence and I had seen there were other agents moving up in that direction, so I fired at the dog....

Trial transcript at 2459, 2510 (ATF Agent Gabourie):

A. I fired one round at a dog that was coming over the fence, if I can, approximately right there (indicating).

.........

Q. What type of dog was it?

A. To me, it was a mix between a German Shepherd and a huskie.

.........

Q. And there was a female agent who fired, also?

A. Yes, sir.

........

Q. Do you recall whether or not she shot at the same dog you fired at?

A. Yes, sir, she did.

Trial transcript at 4584, 4601 (Davidian Kathryn Schroeder, as government witness)

Q. Immediately after the shots--the first shots were fired, you heard the dogs yelping in pain, correct?

A. It was after the beginning fire-fight. I don't know that it was the first shots.

Q. Okay. But very quickly into the fire-fight?

A. Yes.

........

Q. .... How many dogs did the ATF shoot out there that day?

A. There were five, the mother and four pups.

Q. Okay. And they were--were they all shot?

A. Yes.