Port Huron man fatally shoots mutt attacking his dog

Liz Shepard and Beth LeBlanc | Times Herald

Bill Kessler was still shaken Wednesday after shooting a large dog that had hold of his beagle, Daisy.

"The big dog came charging at my dog, I thought he had her by the throat, but it turned out he had her shoulder," the 65-year-old Port Huron man said.

Kessler was walking with Daisy on North Boulevard about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday when the attack occurred.

Kessler said he was on the sidewalk when the large dog charged.

"Before he got to me I got my pepper spray out and sprayed him but that didn't stop him," he said. "After the pepper spray the dog started attacking mine, I tried kicking it, but it was so aggressive I took out my gun and shot it."

Kessler said he was not familiar with the dog. And while he's dealt with aggressive dogs in the neighborhood before, he never thought he'd have to shoot one.

Deciding to do it wasn't hard, he said.

"Not really, I was terrified," Kessler said.

He said Daisy is on the mend.

"She went to the vet and got her wounds cleaned up and got some antibiotics and pain pills, I don't know if she's going to want to go for a walk for a while," Kessler said.

Meghan Marsh said the attack happened when the beagle entered the yard the dog was in. Marsh said the dog, named Sugar, was her mother’s.

She said the dog is not a pit bull, but a mixed breed with about one-sixth bully breed.

Marsh said the man walking the dog has threatened to shoot other dogs in the neighborhood as well.

Kessler said two dogs had attacked Daisy previously, but he did not have to shoot either of them.

Port Huron Police Lt. Scott Pike said the beagle owner fired three shots, two of which hit the dog. He said the dog ran a short distance before it collapsed and died.

The beagle owner held a valid concealed pistol license.

Police plan to seek a warrant for a charge of dog at large against the mixed breed owner. Pike said the offense is a misdemeanor.

Information on whether either dog was licensed was not immediately available.

Contact Liz Shepard at (810) 989-6273 or lshepard@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @lvshepard.