Police kill pit bull as it attacks smaller dog in Gilroy

Gilroy Police say this is the dog that was attacked Monday by a pit bull.

A pit bull that was attacking a smaller dog in a residential neighborhood in Gilroy on Monday evening was shot to death by police.

The incident occurred Monday about 7:30 p.m. in the 500 block of West Ninth Street when dispatchers received a call that a pit bull was attacking another dog in the backyard of a neighbor's home, according to a news release.

When officers arrived, someone told police that the pit bull was killing the other dog. After entering the backyard, officers first tried to stop the attack by using pepper spray on the pit bull, which was unsuccessful.

Because small children were playing in the front yard and walking in the neighborhood at the time of the attack, officers believed the pit bull would have been a significant safety risk had it escaped the backyard. An officer fired one shot at the pit bull, which killed it, according to the release.

Police reported that the smaller dog's breath started to become shallow during the attack, an indication that it might have been suffering from life-threatening injuries. The small dog was taken to an emergency veterinarian for its injuries. Police said in the release they did not know if the smaller dog survived.

During the attack, police could not locate the dogs' owners. The person who lived where the attack occurred did not recognize either dog or who may have owned them. The owner of the pit bull was identified and issued a citation for a failure to restrain the dog, according to police. Gilroy police did not name the owner in the release.

                            This is not the first time the area has had problems with Pit Bulls.

This rescued Pit Bull named Sandy killed a goat in 2005

That attack, along with others, have apparently resonated with pit bull owners. The Sonoma County Humane Society reported that about 100 people had made appointments to have their pets spayed or neutered and they were being swamped by requests from pit bull owners who want their pets spayed or neutered, which can lessen the breed's aggressive tendencies.

Gilroy resident Yvonne Hyatt's arm after she was bit by a pit bull in 2009

Gilroy looked at the possibility of breed specific legislation at the end of 2009, but decided against it... Maybe it's time to have another look Gilroy?