Pit bull shot and killed after attacking man, two dogs in northwest Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (KSNV News3LV) — It started as a routine morning walk around the neighborhood but ended up being a terrifying journey for Vincent Hernandez and his two dogs.
He says a loose pit bull charged at them and that’s when a retired cop ran outside and killed the pit bull.
It happened Friday morning in a gated neighborhood near U.S. 95 and Centennial Center Boulevard in the far northwest part of the city.
"The dog’s teeth mangled one of my fingers. I might lose a nail. I have quite a few stitches in there,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez had to get 12 stitches on his broken finger after the attack, which came out of nowhere.
"I was just walking my dogs down the street like I do every day and I heard something and I looked and there was a pit bull and small chihuahua charging at us,” said Hernandez.
Hernandez’s border collie, Jay, suffered a small wound to his foot.
But Hernandez says the pit bull clamped its jaws onto his terrier, Willow.
Willow is now recovering at a veterinarian's office after emergency surgery.
"He had his jaw on my dog’s face and teeth in her (Willow’s) neck area and I was trying to get him to release the dog,” said Hernandez. “He had a grip and I could see her eyes of fear. I couldn’t get him (the pit bull) to let go."
Hernandez’s quick-thinking neighbor, a retired cop, heard Hernandez’s screams for help and ran outside with his gun.
"I saw him with a gun and I looked up and said, you’re gonna have to shoot the dog. I just held onto it and then I heard a gunshot and the dog let go of my dog,” explained Hernandez.
One bullet was all it took.
"I realized the dog (pit bull) had died in my arms,” he noted.
The pit bull’s family did not answer the door when a News 3 crew tried knocking.
The retired cop who shot and killed the pit bull would not talk to News 3 on camera. But he did say he’s drawn his gun numerous times while in the line of duty but has never shot a dog or person.
