A man shot and killed a dog after the animal bit him and "mauled" his pet Tuesday morning on the northeast side of Des Moines, authorities say.

Officers responded to the 1900 block of East 27th Street in the city's Accent neighborhood at about 5:30 a.m. after the man reported the attack while he and his dog were on a walk.

Sgt. Paul Parizek said a pit bull and another dog began following the man and his dog early Tuesday. The man picked up his small dog to try to protect it, but once he arrived near his home, the pit bull attacked, biting the man and grabbing hold of his pet.

The man got his badly injured dog back and placed it in his yard while he went to call for help, Parizek said. The pit bull then tried to go over the fence and enter the yard. That's when the man went inside his home, retrieved a handgun and shot the pit bull. Soon after, the animal's owner arrived and identified his dog.

Because of the severity of its injuries, the shooter's dog was euthanized by the Animal Rescue League.

"(The pit bull) was running loose, at large in the neighborhood, and unfortunately did what animals — you know, particularly what that breed — often do when they're let loose," Parizek said, "and (that is) attack another animal."

Parizek said the shooter, whose actions were deemed "justified," will not face charges, but it's unclear if the pit bull owner will face charges since the dog was not leashed or secure. Animal control assisted officers during the incident.

"It's unfortunate that it had to get to that point," Parizek said.

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