A Pittsburgh man whose pit bull was shot and killed by police was cited for not having a leash on his dog when it attacked a poodle in the North Side, officials said Monday.
Trevaugh Brown, 24, was sent a summons in connection with the incident, which began with a report of two dogs fighting shortly after 4:30 p.m. last Wednesday, Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said.
Officers were called to the intersection of Viola Street and Catoctin Way in the Perry South section of Pittsburgh’s North Side, where they found a poodle covered in blood and a pit bull that had been stabbed by its owner, police said.
The wounded pit bull charged one of the responding officers, who then shot and killed the dog, officials said.
No people were injured.
The poodle was treated by a veterinarian.
The poodle’s owner told police the pit bull was not on a leash when it attacked her dog.
To try and get the dog to release the poodle, the pit bull’s owner stabbed and pepper-sprayed his dog multiple times, police said.
According to Cruz, Brown was cited under a city of Pittsburgh rule regarding “Dogs at Large.”
The ordinance prohibits anyone from allowing a dog they own “to run at large upon the public streets, sidewalks or other public places” or private properties.
Leashes are not to exceed six feet at all times in public places. Exceptions include specific places designated by parks officials, such as fenced dog parks.
If a dog bites or attacks without being provoked while unleashed, the animal’s owner can be fined $350 plus fees for a first offense, $1,000 for the second and for each additional offense. Offenders who default on paying fines could spend up to 72 hours in jail.
