Durham Regional Police say one of their officers shot a dog in the midst of apparent chaos.
It happened Tuesday afternoon on Summer St in Oshawa near Olive Ave and Simcoe St S. A woman was walking along with her three pups when two dogs, believed to be a Rottweiler and a pit bull, started barking inside a home.
Police say the dogs burst through a screen onto the street and started attacking the three dogs out for a walk. The woman called out for help. Police say a man who ran to her aid was bitten by one of the charging dogs.
At some point the Rottweiler and pit bull were corralled into a backyard and someone called 911. Police say one of their officers arrived on scene just as the animals were running out of the backyard.
"They charged at our officer and he had to discharge his handgun. So one of the dogs was shot in the mouth area," explains police spokesperson Ashling Murphy.
Murphy says the officer fired two shots. The Rottweiler hit was not badly hurt. In fact none of the animals or people involved suffered serious injury.
No charges have been laid in connection with the chaos but the investigation remains open.
Murphy could not say whether officials had conclusively determined if one of the dogs is indeed a pit bull.
The Ontario government banned pit bulls in 2005 with exemptions for animals born before the law was passed. NEWSTALK 1010 has reached out to Oshawa Animal Services for clarification.