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CALGARY — A dog shot in the face after biting a Calgary police officer has been returned to its owners and won’t be designated a vicious animal.

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The young pitbull has been in the custody of Animal Services since July when it bit the officer in the chest during a traffic stop and was then shot. If the judge had ruled the pit bull — named Pig — was a vicious animal authorities would have euthanized it.

The owners had warned that the dog named Pig was young and easily frightened.

The officer, who was wearing a protective vest, wasn’t hurt, and the dog recovered after surgery.

A judge has ruled that there wasn’t enough evidence to suggest the dog would harm another person.

“In regard to providing more of a warning to Const. Reinders about the potential of the pit bull puppy to do anything more than growl, Mr. Honish did articulate that it is the ‘pit bull puppy that you have to worry about,’” Commissioner Jill Taylor said.

“Unfortunately, I don’t believe that Const. Reinders listened to Mr. Honish long enough to hear all of what he had to say. Video confirms that she had already walked away before he finished.”

The dog’s owners say they are considering legal action.

Files from The Calgary Herald