RCMP shoot family dog

An RCMP officer shot and killed a dog at a Surrey home Sunday afternoon, prompting outrage from the pet's owners.

There are conflicting accounts of what led police to open fire on Mason, a large brown pit bull-bullmastiff cross.

Police say the two-and-a-half-year-old dog "rushed and attacked" the officer, who had no way of getting away from it.

But Mason's family claims the animal was only responding to the sound of someone at the backyard gate when he was shot twice – once in the jaw and once in the abdomen.

The dog was taken to the veterinarian and succumbed to his injuries several hours later.

"We're traumatized, they destroyed our family," said Rajan Basra, 29. "He was like our baby. My mom used to tuck him in every single night when she went to bed. That's how spoiled he was."

According to Basra, her mother was about to feed Mason just after noon on Sunday when their backyard gate opened up and two RCMP officers entered.

Police say the officers were at the house – on 132A Street near 81 Avenue – to speak with the occupant of the Basra's basement suite following a dropped 911 call.

Hearing the gate open, Mason ran toward it, turned the corner and was then shot by the police officer.

"They didn't even give him a chance to bark," said Basra, who adds that Mason's response was perfectly understandable.

"That's natural, that's obvious. A dog is going to run toward the gate when he hears a noise."

Basra says Mason was a friendly dog that enjoyed being with people, having been raised in a household of eight.

"Our friends come over all the time and when they meet the dog for the first time he's excited, he's happy," she said.

"He's been brought up around people. He's always around people."

The family got Mason in part to help Basra's mother deal with periodic depression and anxiety attacks.

"The dog brought so much happiness into her world," Basra said.

"You should see her now. I came outside (yesterday) and my mom was walking around crying just looking at his doghouse. She didn't know what to do."

Following the incident, Basra says her mother collapsed and was having a hard time breathing.

RCMP Sgt. Roger Morrow says he has spoken with someone in the community who claims to have been bitten by the dog before.

That same person told Morrow that Mason bit someone else in a separate incident.

"I'm not trying to diminish the value of this dog to the family, but it does have at least some history," Morrow said.

rstarr@surreyleader.com