Loose German shepherd shot outside of Westview Elementary

A man walking a leashed pit bull shot and killed a loose German shepherd Sunday afternoon near Westview Elementary School.

The German shepherd seemed to have escaped from its owner’s yard prior to the shooting, which occurred near the crossing of Fotheringham Street and Bismark Avenue in northwest Spokane, Spokane police spokesman Daniel Strassenberg said.

A witness to the shooting told city police that the German shepherd approached the man and his pit bull and barked at them. The man tried to shoo the dog away before shooting it and leaving the area.

Police have not identified the man or spoken to him. It is unclear if the German shepherd physically attacked the man or his pit bull first, Strassenberg said, nor is it clear why he left the scene afterwards.

It is legal for a person to kill someone else’s dog for chasing or injuring their pets or livestock, along with in self-defense.

Police are gathering video footage from the area for further investigation into what happened. Though the exact amount of time the German shepherd was deceased in the roadway is unknown, Strassenberg said the incident received rapid response from police.

The proximity of the shooting to Westview Elementary School was apparently a coincidence, Strassenberg said, and police are not concerned about a threat to the community.