Animal campaigners are demanding a full investigation into why a young police dog was put down over a £12,000 vet bill.
The Sunday Mail revealed that PD Zara was euthanised in December after Police Scotland deemed the cost to repair her broken pelvis was too high.
The two and a half year old German Shepherd had worked as a general patrol dog for the force but was injured after running into traffic while on a walk with her handler near Inverness.
Now charity the Thin Blue Paw Foundation has written to Chief Constable Jo Farrell calling for an explanation over PD Zara’s death.
Sources with knowledge of what happened said she stood a good chance of recovery with surgery and may even have been able to return to work provided she didn’t have nerve damage.
The charity, which looks after retired police dogs said they would have been able to fundraise to cover Zara’s surgery costs if the force thought she was not able to continue working.
In the letter, charity chief Kieran Stanbridge said the force’s claims that Zara had suffered “additional complications” didn’t match with what sources inside the force said about her prognosis.
He said: “The foundation is deeply concerned by the incident involving PD Zara, and so are the thousands of members of the public from across the United Kingdom who have contacted us.
“We would like to request that Police Scotland commission an independent investigation into the death of PD Zara and the decision-making surrounding her passing to ensure that organisational lessons are learned and…that future veterinary care for police dogs under your ownership as the Chief Constable is not refused or restricted due to funding issues.
“We would request that [the] report be published in full to ensure transparency and accountability.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said: “Our dog branch plays a crucial role across Scotland in keeping people safe and we cannot overstate the value that these highly skilled animals bring to policing.
“Dogs and handlers get full support and the highest veterinary care when injuries or illness occur, and all decisions are made with the welfare and quality of life of the dog at heart.
“They are part of the policing family and any loss of a dog, such as PD Zara, is felt deeply by their colleagues.
“We are listening to the charity’s concerns and will respond to their letter in due course.”
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