A deputy shot and wounded a pit bull to “thwart an attack” in Ventura County, authorities said Tuesday night.

The shooting occurred Tuesday morning while the deputy was trying to contact a woman on probation in an area north of Ventura, according to authorities.

The woman fled inside her home near Larkspur Drive and Spring Street. As she opened the door, the dog came running out, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said.

“The deputy tried to stop the attack at first by using his baton,” authorities said in a statement. But the animal “continued to advance aggressively.”


“Fearing he was going to be bitten by the dog, the deputy drew his handgun and fired,” authorities said.

The dog was treated by the county Animal Services Department and was expected to survive.

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robert.lopez@latimes.com