Man Fatally Shoots Dog Attacking Jogger

A Northridge man shot and killed a dog that was attacking a woman jogging near his home Tuesday, authorities said.

The shooting occurred in the 9500 block of Bothwell Road, a residential area a half-mile northwest of Northridge Fashion Center, said Brian Humphrey, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department.

“We received a 911 call at about 9:50 a.m. from a witness who said a woman was jogging through the neighborhood when she was accosted by a dog, believed to be a chow mix,” Humphrey said. “Her cries for help brought out a neighborhood man to her aid and, in his attempt to break up the two, he [also] was attacked by the canine.

“Witnesses said [the man] then went inside his residence and armed himself with a firearm to disable the canine and inflicted fatal injuries to the dog.”

The dog was found dead when the paramedics arrived on the scene, Humphrey said.

Paramedics treated the jogger, who had suffered several bite wounds, and the man, who was bitten on his arms and fingers, he said.

“It was a disquieting incident, but we are glad that no persons were severely injured in this very sad occurrence,” Humphrey said. “Police will look into this case to see if the use of force was justified.”

Police did not release the names of the victims or the dog’s owner on Tuesday. No arrests were made and no citations were issued, said Charlotte Broughton, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

Sgt. Terry Hale of the LAPD’s Devonshire Division said the man used a .38-caliber revolver to shoot the dog, which suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the neck.

Hale added that witnesses said the dog had been loose in the neighborhood on several occasions before Tuesday’s incident.