A distraught dog owner demands answers after her beloved pet was shot by police.
Officers say they were forced to open fire on Toby the kelpie at a Thornlie home in Perth’s south-east on Wednesday afternoon.
It is the second time in weeks that WA police officers have shot a dog.
Toby’s owner Dana told me Seven news There was a knock on the door and as she was about to open it, an officer had already jumped the fence into her backyard.
She claimed the officer then fired his firearm when the bullet struck Toby in the face.
Toby could still move, but lost a lot of blood.
Dana quickly put Toby in the car and rushed him to a vet who referred her to another clinic to undergo emergency surgery.
He was still in surgery Wednesday evening as vets tried to find and remove the bullet.
Toby the kelpie is fighting for his life after being shot in the face by a police officer in Perth’s south-eastern suburbs on Wednesday
Toby’s owner Dana (pictured) said she has no idea why Toby was shot by the police officer
Dana has no idea why the police officer shot her dog.
‘I don’t understand, I don’t know. “I don’t know why he shot him,” she said.
Police were reportedly on the scene to serve an arrest warrant.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted WA Police for comment.
The latest incident comes after another dog was shot and killed by Western Australian police officers earlier this month.
A six-year-old Stafford Labrador named Cujo was killed during the violent arrest of the dog’s owner in Canning Vale in the city’s south.
During the arrest, the dog approached the officers and attacked a male officer, according to police.
“Police tried to stop the attack using non-lethal forces, but were unable to do so.”
Dana said there was a knock on the door and when she was about to answer it, a police officer had already jumped the fence into her backyard. Dana’s house is pictured
One of the officers then shot Cujo, who died at the scene.
It is understood the dog was initially tasered, but when that had no effect the officer discharged his firearm.
After watching body-worn video of the incident, Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the officer had no choice but to shoot the dog.
“I know this hits the community hard when they see the police taking action in this way,” Blanch told Perth radio station 6PR.
“I both viewed the officer’s body-worn video and spoke with the officer.
“Unfortunately, that’s my observation, and there will be an independent investigation into the discharge of a firearm, I don’t think he had any other choice.”