He was shot twice in the neck, but Killer the pit bull would not die.
His victim, Minnie, a Pomeranian, was not as fortunate.
The Pomeranian had to be put down after the 70-pound Killer jumped a neighbor’s fence, attacking her and a Jack Russell terrier. The owner tried to save his dogs by shooting the pit bull twice with a small-caliber pistol, authorities said.
Three students from a nearby school helped pull the dog off the terrier and pinned Killer until authorities arrived.
“My understanding is that the pit bull that was shot … is doing remarkably well, considering all the injuries it sustained,” Lakewood police spokesman Steve Davis said.
Police were called about 2 p.m. Monday to the 1300 block of Allison Street in Lakewood, where the pit bull was subdued.
Matt Burdic told KUSA Channel 9 that he shot the dog twice and three teenage boys walking by came to his aid.
One of the boys, a student at a nearby alternative high school, was carrying a knife and stabbed at the dog, Davis said. A veterinarian who treated Killer couldn’t find stab wounds on the animal.
All three dogs were taken to Access Vet Clinic, where veterinarian Victoria Gomez said the Pomeranian had to be euthanized because of its injuries.
The pit bull still had two bullets lodged in tissue near its skull when it was moved to another animal hospital.
“The bullets sure didn’t seem to slow the dog down any,” Gomez said. “He’s actually very friendly toward people, but was aggressive toward other dogs.”
Animal control supervisor Holly Gilbertson said that Killer had been renamed Bogus in recent days by its owners, who said they rescued the dog from a previous owner who kept him in deplorable conditions.
“It doesn’t look like this dog has much of a future anyway,” Gilbertson said.
Five other pit bulls, two of them puppies, were impounded from the home.
One of the owners of the pit bulls, whom authorities did not identify, was issued a summons for charges including possession of a vicious animal, possession of more than the limited number of animals and neglect, Gilbertson said.
“The … owner is quite upset about the whole situation and was just very apologetic for the neighbor’s loss,” Gilbertson said.
A social services representative was called to the home because two young children also live there. However, the children were not taken from the home at this time, Davis said.
Police are not pursuing charges against Burdic for firing a pistol or the teen for being in possession of the knife, Davis said.
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-954-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com.
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