Dog shot earlier by police dies from suspected liver ailment

A dog that was shot by a Regina police officer in August has died from a health condition not believed to be related to the shooting.

Missty, an American Staffordshire Bull Terrier owned by Regina resident Lance Murphy, was shot by an officer in the Regina Police Service’s canine unit on Aug. 15.

Murphy had taken Missty and his other dog for a walk in a field near Rambler Park, near where the canine unit was training.

An officer approached Murphy and his dogs, and ended up shooting Missty.

Police have said the officer felt he was in immediate danger, but Murphy believes the force used was not justified

Lucas Murphy, Lance’s son, said Missty died at his father’s home on Saturday morning.

“My dad’s beyond devastated,” Murphy said during a phone interview on Monday.

Lucas said a veterinarian suspects something was wrong with Missty’s liver, which was not affected when she was wounded by the gunshot.

A biopsy has been sent away for analysis to better determine exactly what led to Missty’s death.

“There’s a lot of things (that could go wrong), I guess, with a liver. She could have been born with it. She could have had some sort of liver disease,” Lucas said.

Lucas said the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) is still reviewing his father’s complaint over the incident. The Regina Police Service is also conducting its own internal investigation.