Ottawa Police say an officer shot a dog after receiving numerous calls about an aggressive German Shepherd loose on the street.
Witnesses say the German Shepherd was off-leash and lunging at pedestrians, including a mother with a stroller, in the area of Beausoleil Drive and York Street around 4 p.m.
When police arrived at the scene, an officer drew his gun and shot the dog a single time.
“When you have a dog that’s on the loose that is not leashed, and is being deemed as vicious and is already attacking people, public safety is paramount,” Duty Insp. Mark Patterson told CTV Ottawa.
No one was injured by the dog.
The animal underwent emergency surgery Saturday night and is now in stable condition. It is recovering at a local veterinary clinic.
Neighbours described the animal’s behaviour as erratic and threatening.
“It was really scary and people were petrified because the dog had no control. It was running everywhere trying to attack anyone it could see,” neighbour Stephanie Molloy said, adding she ran outside to protect the mother with the stroller.
Others in the community are standing by the actions of police.
“I personally believe that it was shot for a reason. If it was my kids in a stroller, I would appreciate the police doing the same thing. Because if it’s going to attack the stroller, the next thing is the baby,” said neighbour Crystal Price.
The pet’s owner has since relinquished ownership and given the German Shepherd to the Ottawa Humane Society.
With files from CTV Ottawa
