A YOUNG police dog had to be put down after senior officers refused to pay a £12,000 vet bill.
Zara, a two-and-a half-year-old German Shepherd, needed surgery to repair a broken pelvis but the cost was deemed too expensive.
The hero dog had been on a walk in a remote Highland village with her handler when she bolted after a rabbit and was hit by a car just weeks before Christmas.
Sources said a vet assessment confirmed the Alsatian needed surgery but her prospects of returning to service were good and she was likely to recover.
Police Scotland’s animals are not insured so any payment for medical treatment comes from the overall policing budget but the force insisted animal welfare was the priority in Zara’s case.
One senior figure said: “This is just a tragedy from start to finish and I’m sure many dog lovers will be furious to find out what’s happened. The dog would have been fine, more than likely, as it was so young. It just needed an operation.
“These animals are like officers and should be treated that way, not like a piece of equipment to be put in the bin.
“The amount of money invested in training these dogs and paying for dog handlers has all just gone to waste in this case as they’ve decided to put down the dog.
“It might seem like a lot of money but when you put it into context with the help these animals provide and the investments already made to get them to a standard where they can perform their jobs, it seems short-sighted.
“Its just a damning indictment of the state of the force’s finances and a really sad situation.”
All 150 police dogs are owned by Chief Constable Jo Farrell who is ultimately responsible for their welfare.
The animals usually go everywhere with their handler but decisions on their care are made by senior officials in the service.
Zara was provided to Police Scotland by a specialist breeder in south Wales.
In October 2023, Zara became a licensed police dog and worked with her handler for a year before her accident.
She served as a general patrol dog helping to find missing people, searching for evidence and hunting for suspects who had fled crime scenes.
Scottish Greens justice spokeswoman Maggie Chapman MSP said: “Working dogs are not just tools to be used and then discarded, they are sentient beings.
“If Police Scotland had valued her life, not just her use to them, they’d have ensured she had the life-saving surgery that was required.
A police spokeswoman said: “Police dogs are an important part of our policing community, and any loss is felt deeply by their colleagues, officers and staff. The welfare of our dogs is always the priority in any decision relating to medical care.”
Kieran Stanbridge, chairman of retired police dog charity the Thin Blue Paw Foundation, said: “Police dogs play a vital role within policing and dedicate their lives to helping us fight crime.
“If they’re injured or fall ill then all efforts should be made to ensure they have access to the best veterinary care and are given every chance to recover so they can return to duty or retire to live out their days with a loving family with the support of the Thin Blue Paw Foundation.”
“Police Scotland’s dogs and horses don’t have insurance as, due to the nature of the work, companies would not insure them. All costs are covered instead by the ordinary policing budget.”
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond – Sign up to our newsletterhere.