NORTH LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Police say a dog attack in a North Las Vegas city park ended with a detective shooting a pit bull on Wednesday morning.
In a press release, public information officer Alexander Cuevas says a city park employee informed police at 9:02 a.m. that "two large dogs — a pit bull and a German shepherd — were running free and terrorizing people in Seastrand Park."
"Moments after" calling dispatch, the park employee and a North Las Vegas Police detective, who were already in the park, "heard a woman screaming for help and rushed to her aid," Cuevas stated.
According to police, both men saw the pit bull and German shepherd attacking a small dog on a leash held by its 65-year-old female owner. The woman also had a second small dog on another leash, police noted, and was "tangled up with the dogs in close proximity to the attack."
The woman's dog was said to be "engulfed by the jaws of the pit bull" while the German shepherd was biting and pulling on the smaller dog's leg.
"Due to the viciousness of the attack, the detective believed that the woman was in imminent danger of also being attacked while trying to rescue her dog," Cuevas stated.
The detective put himself between the woman and the dog and fired his gun at the pit bull, according to police. The first shot didn't stop the attack, but a second shot did, Cuevas stated.
The small dog, identified by its owner as a Shih-Tzu, survived the attack and was taken to an animal hospital, "but its current condition is unknown," police said. The woman didn't report any injuries.
Police say the pit bull was taken to The Animal Foundation on Mojave Road, but didn't survive.
The owners of the pit bull and German shepherd will be charged with two misdemeanor counts of dogs running at large, according to police.
"NLVPD urges responsible pet ownership, following relevant leash laws and having your animals properly spayed/neutered and secured at all times," police stated.
