Owner irate after another dog shot by police
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/theprovince/story.asp?id=1B4C52DF-C925-4106-BE0C-16CED894B5EE
Elaine O'Connor
The Province
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
One day after Vancouver police shot a family dog dead at an East Vancouver home last week, another dog shot by police also died needlessly, its Kamloops owners said yesterday.
"I'm willing to do whatever I can to have justice for my dog because she died for no reason at all," said owner Cyrena Worden, whose dog was shot by police Thursday.
Worden said police were chasing an acquaintance who ran into her home to hide after committing a fraud nearby, which she said she knew nothing about.
When RCMP officers knocked on the door, her father-in-law answered, trying to keep their two dogs -- a five-year-old pit bull terrier named Chyna and her puppy, Solo -- from the police dog at the door, but he lost control and Chyna lunged at the dog.
As they scuffled, an officer shot at the dog, sending it running to the neighbours.
"I have a beware-of-dog sign on my window," Worden said. "They were doing their job, but it's not my dog's fault. They didn't give us time to get her out of the way."
Neighbour Laura Schmidt offered to take the bleeding animal to the vet, but police refused, Worden said. Instead, she said, they followed the dog to the backyard and shot it several times.
Kamloops Cpl. Mike Stewart said police are reviewing the incident "but I wouldn't feel comfortable commenting on it."
Last Wednesday, a Vancouver police officer visiting a Windsor Street home was startled by a barking German shepherd cross chained in the yard. The officer shot the dog once in the neck to subdue it, unable to see it was chained and couldn't reach him. The dog died later and the officer was put on paid leave.
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