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Dogs Shots in Brainerd Attack

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WRCB-TV) - A Sunday morning incident leaves two dogs dead and a community wondering when is the use of deadly appropriate to save a pet's life?

"I've never seen anything like this since I've been here," said Craig Byers. "I mean, I've got two dogs in my back yard." It is a peaceful South Brainerd neighborhood of dogwoods and azaleas and many family pets. But, a dog-on-dog attack Sunday morning lead to gunfire about four houses down the way.

According to an incident report, two pit bulls roamed into the yard at 108 South Howell Avenue and attacked a pit bull which was chained. Next-door neighbor James Klassen saw what was happening and retrieved his pistol. He shot the two attacking dogs to save the other's life.

"I heard six shots," said Marvin Wilson who lives across the street, "but I just figured, you know, I didn't hear any dogs fighting."

The dogs were taken to Riverside Emergency Veternary Hospital. On Monday, debate raged. Was this an excessive use of force and should charges have been filed either against Klassen or the man who let the two attacking dogs escape his yard on Spring Creek Road earlier in the day?

"If the dog was on his property trying to attack him or his kid or something," theorized Wilson, "I could see something like that."

"I understand the whole trying to just make sure that your own property was safe and everything. I do understand that," added Byers. "But, at the same time, there are a lot of kids who run up and down these streets. So, if one of them, you know, something like that would have happened, you know, a bullet had missed one of those dogs and hit one of the kids, you know, it could turn really bad around here and that's something we just don't need. Because it's really peaceful around here."

The two dogs which attacked were euthanized because their gunshot injuries were so severe. Their owner was cited for violating the city leash law when he let them escape through a hole in his fence. Authorities are still trying to determine if James Klassen acted lawfully when he fired his gun and whether or not he committed an act of animal cruelty.

Reported by: Greg Glover