A family has been rocked  after a police officer pulled out his gun and opened fire on their pet dog, “blowing a hole” into the animal’s paw.

Jean Strong | FilmingCops.com

Timothy Crumpler, Elsa’s owner, was at home, and heard the gunshots.

He ran outside and found Elsa on the ground bleeding from her paw.

Crumpler’s daughter was also at home and heard witnesses say “They shot your dog”.

Naturally the Richmond PD is investigating itself and will not comment until the investigation is complete and they have found themselves not to be guilty of anything.

“Big hole about two inches in his foot and blew some of his toes off. I tried to put a tourniquet on to stop the blood,” said Crumpler.

The cops claim that the dog was next door at an abandoned home and came out and attacked an officer.

The owners dispute that.

“If you shot him all the way next door you gonna find something a blood trail leading back to where I seen him at,” said Crumpler.

It appears that simply seeing a dog is grounds for the cops to fear for their lives and shoot to kill. A cop has not been killed by a dog for over fifty years.

The family tried to get help from Richmond Animal Control and waited for an hour, but RAC refused to help them, so they took her to a Carytown veterinarian.

The wound to Elsa’s paw will require expensive surgery, estimated at $3,000.

The family can’t afford such a bill. They left Elsa with the vet over the weekend while they tried to figure how they could swing it.

Eventually they turned to WTVR CBS 6 News for assistance. At first the veterinarian tried to have Animal Control take custody of the dog, but then released her without payment to the owners, who will be receiving a bill.

“Yes, we got our baby. I am so happy right now, but we still have a lot of work to get done she still needs surgery. But I am so happy she is coming home,” Smith said.

The age of the dog is not known at this point.

A Facebook page has been set up, Justice 4 Elsa. A link to a Gofundme account is on the page.

Watch the video below: