Pit Bull Enters Home, Mauls Dog, Is Shot

A pit bull that wandered into a West Hills home mauled a German shepherd and charged a police officer before being shot to death, authorities said Monday.

The incident occurred at 6 p.m. Sunday in the 24400 block of Deer Lick Drive, said Lt. Don Kitchen of the Los Angeles Police Department.

A woman, who was not identified, called police when the pit bull entered her house through an open door. When Officer John Futrell and Sgt. Bob Rebhan arrived, the dog ran from the house and charged at Futrell. Before the dog could attack the officer, Rebhan shot it to death with a shotgun.

Kitchen said police believe the dog was wild and lived in the hills behind the Deer Lick Drive neighborhood. He said the German shepherd was in critical condition at an animal hospital.