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HOPE MILLS, N.C. — Cumberland County sheriff’s deputies will now carry nonlethal weapons and undergo animal training after an officer shot and killed a small dog.

The Fayetteville Observer reported that Deputy Barbara Siau of the Child Support Enforcement Unit was at a home looking for someone when the dog attacked her.

The homeowner said Siau kicked away the 18-pound Pekingese-dachshund mix named Gizmo before shooting him. The homeowner said there were small bite marks on the officer’s pants but it is unclear if the assault broke the skin.

A lawyer for the sheriff’s office says the plain-clothes members of the child support unit will undergo animal training and will be armed with non-lethal weapons such as a mace, a baton or Taser.

Credit: The Associated Press.