Woman saved from mauling Attacking dog shot by passerby licensed to carry.

A man shot a pit bull type dog on the West Side Wednesday morning, when the man spotted the dog attacking a woman on the ground. The dog was later euthanized; the woman was hospitalized, treated and released. Photo by Eva Ruth Moravec; emoravec@express-news.net less A man shot a pit bull type dog on the West Side Wednesday morning, when the man spotted the dog attacking a woman on the ground. The dog was later euthanized; the woman was hospitalized, treated and released. ... more Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Woman saved from mauling 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A man shot a pit bull mix as it attacked a woman Wednesday morning on the West Side, authorities said.

Shot in the leg, the dog later was euthanized.

The woman could have been killed if the man hadn't intervened, police said.

The man was driving in the 900 block of North Zarzamora Street about 8:15 a.m. when he saw Angelita Deleon, 58, struggling on the ground with a white and tan dog, police said.

Police did not release his name but said he was a local business owner with a license to carry a concealed handgun. He parked his vehicle and fired several shots, striking the dog, police Sgt. Devon Lambert said.

Deleon sustained bites to her head, neck and face, Lambert said. An incident report says she was walking down the street when the dog attacked her for no apparent reason, knocking her to the ground. She was taken to Christus Santa Rosa Hospital and was released by Wednesday afternoon.

The shooter saw a person in danger and acted accordingly, Lambert said, adding it appeared to be an appropriate use of a concealed handgun.

“If he hadn't come along, it could have resulted in her death,” Lambert said.

A bloody trail led police to a nearby auto repair shop, where the pit bull mix had limped and sought shelter in a back lot. Animal Care Services picked up the dog, which had lost a significant amount of blood but was able to walk.

Lisa Norwood, a shelter spokeswoman, said the dog was euthanized immediately.

Police said the dog had a collar but officers hadn't been able to find its owner. Because the dog was loose, the owner could face a citation if identified.