Police in Peabody, Massachusetts shot and killed an “aggressive” dog that had attacked its owners late Thursday night, officials said.
After receiving a report of a dog attack in progress at 10:45 pm, police arrived and found a man and woman suffering from serious injuries, according to the Peabody Police Department. Since the dog, described as a pit bull by family members, was still “acting in an aggressive manner,” the couple were standing on top of a car out of its reach, Boston25 News reported.
When one of the officers tried to help the couple down from the car, the dog began to attack them again, latching onto the woman’s head and shaking her violently, according to Boston25. After the man she was with tried unsuccessfully to pull the dog off, an officer “used his service firearm to neutralize the dog,” authorities said. (RELATED: Sheriff’s Deputy Dies Protecting Son From ‘Pit Bull-Type’ Dog, Officials Say)
Family members told NBC 10 Boston that the couple used to date and had owned the dog since it was a puppy.
A preliminary investigation indicated that the woman tried to get between the pit bull and their cat after the dog had escaped from the house, according to NBC 10.
Dog attacks couple sending them to hospital. #Peabody police shot and killed dog on Endicott to stop it. They say dog belonged to the couple. Family says the dog was a pitbull mix. It ran after their cat and the woman intervened. #boston25 pic.twitter.com/gjVVExu1N7
— Katie Brace (@KatieBraceNews) August 25, 2023
It was not immediately clear what set the dog off. But animal care and behavioral specialist, Anabelle Goldston from the Animal Rescue League of Boston, noted that aggressive behaviors can be curbed by training dogs from puppyhood, NBC 10 Boston reported.
“Especially for puppies it’s really important to build positive associations with all different things they’re learning,” she said.
The father of the woman told 7News that his daughter “got bit a couple of times” and her “boyfriend is in the hospital. As far as I know this morning, they said he’s doing fine.”
The woman was released Friday morning from the hospital while the man was still being treated.
Police indicated that an investigation into this incident was ongoing.