Dog shot twice by police

Marisa Babic

Vince Ruck has a bone to pick with Surrey RCMP - for shooting his dog, twice.

Ruck is furious with police for shooting his tethered dog after the 90-pound German shepherd lunged at an officer and bit him on the leg while he was answering a call about a dispute between two neighbours.

Ruck accuses police of using excessive force. His dog, Bone, a four-year-old black and tan German shepherd, still has two bullets lodged in his chest.

"I want the RCMP to come up with an explanation for why they did what they did," Ruck said yesterday.

The Whalley resident says the shooting shows the officer was "a little overzealous and a little trigger-happy."

But Surrey RCMP Const. Marc Searle said the officer actually made two calls to the house and there was no dog in sight the first time. On his return trip, night was falling and the officer was startled when the dog, tethered to a tree, rushed at him and bit him on the leg.

"It's obvious by the actions of the member he felt his safety was at risk," Searle said.

Furthermore, Searle said, police took the dog to a private vet in a police cruiser and the RCMP have agreed to pay the vet bill, which currently sits at $1,000. As well, an investigation will be done into the shooting.

But Ruck scoffed at the offer.

Ruck views the gesture to pay the bill as an admission by police that they "screwed up" and rejects the officer's accounting of events.

Ruck says Bone is "whimpering" and will be needing more trips to the vet to determine if the bullets can be removed safely.

The shooting was triggered by a dispute between Ruck and his neighbours, who complained Ruck was playing loud music late at night. A shouting match broke out between the two parties and Ruck called police.

Ruck says while he was waiting for police, sitting at his front door, he went inside his house to get a glass of water.

"While I was upstairs running the water I hear two pops. My dog yelped and my son came running up the stairs and said, 'The cops just shot our dog,'" Ruck said.

Ruck admits Bone looks scary and claims he keeps him chained at all times, but he insists his pet doesn't pose a danger to anyone.

"My dog is not dangerous. All the kids in the neighbourhood play with my dog. My dog has never bitten anybody," he said.