HARTFORD, Vt. – State police in Vermont are investigating after authorities say an off-duty police officer shot and killed a pit bull that reportedly attacked his dog at a dog park.

Police say Hartford Police Officer Logan Scelza shot the dog at the Watson Upper Valley Dog Park in Hartford on Saturday. They say Scelza’s husky was reportedly bitten in the throat by the pit bull. A woman tells The Valley News that another husky was involved in the fight.

Police say Scelza’s injured dog was treated and released from a veterinary hospital and is recovering at home.

Hartford Police Chief Phillip Kasten says it’s not uncommon for officers to be armed while off-duty. He says Scelza has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

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