Complaint after police pet shooting

A family left traumatised after their pet dog was shot dead by police have made an official complaint – and they’re calling for the police officer who pulled the trigger to face criminal charges.

The Chand family’s dog Budz was shot twice in the leg and once in the head by a police officer during a police search on a home in Papatoetoe, south Auckland in September.

They raided the home after they saw a photo on one of the family members’ phone, in which the young man was posing with a fake plastic gun that was mistaken for a real firearm.

The family have now approached the New Zealand Police Conduct Association, who have laid the complaint on their behalf.

‘‘I can understand if there’s a crazed gunman going around and there’s a dog in the middle getting in the way ... that it might be shot. But this is a shooting of a dog, someone’s beloved pet,’’ said Shannon Parker, president of the NZPCA.

The complaint labels the police actions as ‘‘excessive and unreasonable’’.

During the raid police found no evidence of a firearm, but when the sound of police surrounding the property alerted the 19-month-old staffordshire bull terrier and it started to bark, police shot him despite pleas from the family to leave him alone.

‘‘Police had no reason to believe anyone at the address was currently armed and/or posing any threat to any person,’’ the family’s complaint said.

Parker said the family wanted criminal charges laid against the officer and were seeking compensation.

Mother Uma Chand said Victim Support had been in contact but police hadn’t been in touch with the family after the shooting.