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Pit Bull Shot, Later Dies

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A pet dog was shot and killed on a city street, and neighbors now question why it had to happen. Neighbors in Wilkes-Barre are trying ...

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- A pet dog was shot and killed on a city street, and neighbors now question why it had to happen.

Neighbors in Wilkes-Barre are trying to wrap their heads around what happened early Sunday morning. A massive pit bull that was known in the neighborhood for giving sweet kisses was shot and later died.

That pit bull went by the name Batman, and he's now buried behind his owner's house a day after being shot for allegedly attacking a couple and their dog. The woman who shot Batman tells police she feared for her safety.

Blood stains remain at the intersection of Brook and Regent Streets in Wilkes-Barre. Nearby, a freshly dug grave sits in the backyard of an apartment building with a grave marker that reads: "Batman."

Batman is the large, gray pit bull that police say was shot around 8 a.m. Sunday.

A woman told police that while she and her boyfriend were walking their dog, Batman got away from one of its owners and started attacking. The victim, who legally owned her gun, fired two shots, hitting Batman once.

People say Batman was well known in the neighborhood.

"Very friendly dog, but it was a big dog, so people were afraid of it. I had seen it in this area a couple of times and it was friendly, but because of the size, people were afraid of it," Greg Winslow said.

Batman is now buried behind the apartment. His leashes are on top of the marker. Originally, animal enforcement responded to the incident and brought Batman to a local animal hospital.

"When we got there, they said the dog lost so much blood that it's best that we just put it down," Winslow said. "Stuff like this should never happen in this area. We have enough problems with people just dumping animals and not wanting to take care of them, let alone killing them."

Animal enforcement tells Newswatch 16 the owner of the dog faces a citation for the dog not being under control. Police say there was no violation of the law when the woman fired shots.

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