An Orcutt resident shot and killed one of two pit bulls that were attacking a dog on Thursday, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputies responded just after 9 a.m. to a report of a German shepherd being attacked in the backyard of a home on the 1400 block of Rosalie Drive, said sheriff’s spokeswoman Kelly Hoover.

A neighbor tried unsuccessfully to break up the fight using a garden hose, Hoover said.

“The homeowner returned home and fired two rounds from a handgun in close proximity to the attacking pit bulls,” Hoover said. “One of the shots fatally injured one of the pit bulls, which stopped the attack.”

The injured German shepherd was taken to an animal hospital for treatment for a mangled leg and a possible neck puncture, Hoover said.

County Animal Services took custody of both pit bulls.

The incident remained under investigation, and the names of the dog owners were not released.

“Preliminary indications are that the German shepherd’s owner’s actions appear to be consistent with the law in dispatching the attacking dogs, and the use of the firearm appears reasonable based on the circumstances known at the time,” Hoover said.

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