SAN DIMAS — A bystander shot and killed one of two pit bulls that were attacking a horse with a woman riding it Saturday, officials said.
A 47-year-old San Dimas woman was riding her horse about 9 a.m. at Foothill Boulevard and Walnut Avenue when two pit bulls, which had escaped from a nearby yard, attacked the horse, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Andy Berg said.
One of the dogs bit the horse, causing the animal to fall, according to the lieutenant. The rider managed to get clear of the horse as it fell and was not hurt.
“The dog was latched onto the horse and wouldn’t let go,” Berg said. “A third party, an uninvolved person, used a small-caliber rifle and shot one of the dogs dead.”
The bystander, a 24-year-old San Dimas man, fired several shots from a .22-caliber rifle, officials added.
Animal control officials took custody of the other pit bull, Berg added.
The horse, named Mecca, was injured and taken to a veterinarian, he said. It was not believed that it would be necessary to euthanize the horse.
The owner of the dogs was contacted, and animal control officials were investigating, Berg said.
The man who shot the dog was not cited or arrested, as the shooting appeared to have been necessary and carried out responsibly, he said.