The man who shot and killed a 4-year-old pit bull on Long Island is speaking out and defending his actions. Yesterday it was reported that Timothy Devine was waiting for his daughter to get home from school (it turns out she's 18-years-old), when he saw the pit bull following a child on a bike. He called 911, but ended up shooting the dog, which he described as being "very agitated," before they arrived.
He has since told Newsday he was "devastated" by the shooting, but has no regrets—"Look, I didn't go looking for this. I got nothing against dogs. If it hadn't been coming after me, I wouldn't have shot it." It was coming for him because he allegedly attempted to distract it from going after a 13-year-old girl who had just gotten off the bus. Her mother noted that the dog had been a concern for a couple of years, and was often tied to a tree and barking.
No charges are expected against Devine, but his actions are under investigation—after he shot the dog it walked home and died on its stoop. Currently the police have been unable to talk to the dog's owners.
