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A Surrey family says it will never get over the loss of its beloved pit bull, Mason, who was shot to death by police investigating a 911 call.
Rajan Basra, 29, said Monday that Mason was just being friendly when he bounded toward police on Sunday afternoon in the family's backyard.
"Our dog was murdered by the cops. He died a violent death," said Basra, sobbing repeatedly. "He didn't deserve to die this way. No family deserves that. We're devastated."
Rajan and Gurjeet Basra hold a picture of their beloved dog.
Wayne Leidenfrost - The Province
Surrey RCMP say they were responding to an unrelated 911 call from a tenant in the Basra house, in the 8000-block 132A Street.
Sgt. Roger Morrow said two officers did not know what they would be dealing with when they opened a gate which led to the backyard.
"The dog was coming at the police officers. He was within a foot when the firearm was discharged," said Morrow. "An investigation will likely be held."
Morrow said the fierce-looking dog has "somewhat of a history."
"One person has been bitten in that community," he said.
Basra, a Revenue Canada employee, said the dog has never bitten anyone, although there has been a complaint about him barking.
"He's a barker. He's afraid of firecrackers," she said.
She said police "had no right" to enter the backyard as they responded to the tenant's call. The doorway to the tenant's suite is reached from the side of the house, not the backyard.
"All they needed to do was ask us," she said.
Basra said police should have been familiar with the situation because
the female tenant has called them frequently in the past several months about domestic matters concerning her ex-husband.
She said Mason was a cross between a pit bull and a bullmastiff, and enjoyed playing with the neighbour's five-year-old.
Basra said all eight family members in the household thought the world of him. He joined the family 21/2 years ago.
"We joked with our mom that the dog was more popular than us. She called him her grandson," said Basra.
"He was the most lovable dog. He was like our baby."
The backyard was fenced off, including a shelter where the dog slept at night.
At the time police arrived, she said, the dog wasn't barking.
"He just ran up to them. He was a social dog. He could hear the gate opening and he wanted to see who was coming.
"Mom was in the backyard and could also have been shot. She was hysterical. We were all crying. My dad was in the police officer's face. They threatened to arrest us," she said.
Mason spent the next 31/2 hours with veterinarians in Surrey and Vancouver, kept alive with the aid of an oxygen tank.
"He suffered so much. We had to put him down," Basra said.
She said the vet bills are at least $3,000 and may be as high as $6,000.
"We don't feel we should be held responsible for paying them. It wasn't our fault," she said.
The SPCA said officers may use reasonable force if they believe they are being threatened by an animal.
"If police are investigating an incident, they are allowed to use reasonable force if they feel their safety is in jeopardy," said Marcie Moriarty, general manager of SPCA cruelty investigations.
Basra said the family will never get over Mason's death.
"We can't get the sound of his howling out of our minds after he was shot," she said. "The police destroyed our lives."
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