Union Township man shot and killed a pit bull he mistakenly thought was attacking his wife in their home Monday, police said. Instead, the pit bull mastiff mix was trying to kill their cat and the man's wife was trying to save the cat.
Deputies with the Porter County Sheriff's Department were called shortly after 7 p.m.
The man told police he and his wife had taken temporary ownership of a 135-pound pit bull-Mastiff mix for a family member who was trying to find another owner for the dog. T
He told police he and his wife heard a loud banging from their bedroom, where they had secured their cat, and his wife went to check when he heard her scream, followed by loud barking and growling.
He ran into the bedroom and saw his wife in the bathroom with Hunter, one of their dogs and the cat, and he believed Hunter was attacking his wife because of her screaming
He retrieved his pistol, a Smith and Wesson M&P .40 semi-automatic, and entered the bathroom behind Hunter, who was between the man and his wife, and fired three shots into the dog, the police report said.
The dog slumped to the ground and died, and the man checked his wife to make sure she didn't require medical attention before he called police.
Police initially believed the man held a valid handgun permit but later learned it was denied.
The sheriff's department forwarded its report to the Porter County Prosecutor's office and Porter County Animal Control.
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