Regina woman says police shot dog, then she was arrested for the 'theft of my own pets'

Jeffery Tram · CBC News

· Posted: May 17, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Amid a household quality implicit the ownership of 2 dogs, a Regina pistillate says she's devastated aft constabulary changeable 1 of the animals successful beforehand of her house.

Jennifer Godfrey said 1 of the officers who came to her location connected the greeting of May 14 "allowed her canine Bane to escape," past different serviceman changeable the canine successful the chest.

"My canine was already subdued and helium changeable him again," Godfrey said.

According to a Regina Police Service (RPS) quality release, officers were dispatched to a location successful the 1500 artifact of Athol Street aft a study of theft. Police accidental they were told 2 dogs had been taken without permission and they were believed to beryllium astatine that address.

Godfrey said the telephone came from her mother, who Godfrey had spent six months trying to retrieve her 2 dogs from. Godfrey said the dogs are hers.

CBC News has tried to interaction Godfrey's mother, but she has not responded.

Godfrey said that erstwhile constabulary arrived astatine her house, she tried to amusement them impervious of ownership, including registration, veterinary records and photos. She claims officers refused to look astatine immoderate of it.

"They knocked connected my doorway threatening a warrant," Godfrey said. "[They said] they were going to instrumentality maine to jail."

The quality merchandise from Regina constabulary says a canine past "ran retired the beforehand doorway and toward one of the officers."

Godfrey said an serviceman was propping the doorway unfastened portion speaking to her, which caused her 2 dogs to escape. 

That's erstwhile different serviceman fired a changeable astatine Bane, and past different astir 15 seconds later, she said. 

"I felt powerless," Godfrey said.

Godfrey said officers arrested her soon aft and charged her with theft.

"They arrested maine for the theft of my ain dogs."

The Regina Police Service confirmed to CBC News that the canine was fixed archetypal assistance and transported to a veterinary clinic, and that its injuries were non-life-threatening. Godfrey said constabulary told her Thursday nighttime that Bane's limb was amputated.

WATCH | Regina pistillate says constabulary serviceman changeable canine twice: 

Animal power not connected scene

The Regina Humane Society (RHS) confirmed that carnal power officers were not called to the scene.

Bill Thorn, manager of selling and nationalist relations for the RHS, said carnal power often works with police, but lone by request.

"The Regina Humane Society acts nether declaration with the City of Regina to enforce carnal bylaws arsenic they pertain to companion animals," Thorn said. "If the Regina Police Service oregon Fire and Protective Services encounters an animal, they volition interaction america to assist."

Thorn said carnal power officers are trained to de-escalate situations involving assertive animals. They besides person tools, similar drawback poles, to assistance seizure an carnal safely. 

"Often they volition interaction america due to the fact that they don't person the due instrumentality to negociate and power an carnal oregon transport it," helium said. "But again, we don't respond unless we're requested."

He said that successful galore cases wherever the RHS is called, incidents extremity without injury. But adjacent without the beingness of carnal control, Thorn says helium understands officers tin beryllium enactment successful pugnacious situations wherever split-second decisions person to beryllium made.

"Nobody wants to spot an carnal harmed, nor does anyone privation to spot radical harmed."

Godfrey said determination was nary crushed for the serviceman to occurrence a weapon astatine Bane, due to the fact that helium did not airs a existent threat.

"He's a bully boy," she said. "He's not assertive astatine all."

Investigation ongoing

RPS says the incidental remains nether investigation. Because a weapon was fired, the lawsuit volition beryllium reviewed by the RPS Use of Force Review Board and besides reported to the Saskatchewan Police Commission.

Godfrey said she is grateful for the assemblage enactment she's received. Her daughter, Annika, launched a GoFundMe run to rise wealth for Bane's aesculapian care.

CBC News reached retired to RPS, but they said they could not remark further arsenic the probe is ongoing.