A Vernon Hills police officer shot a pit bull that attacked a woman and her dog Thursday.
According to a news release, officers responded to Harrison Court and Whitney Place at about 9:30 a.m. and found the 56-year-old woman crying and and bleeding from both hands.
The victim said she was walking her mini-doberman pinscher when a pit bull attacked. The dog then attacked the owner after she tried to intervene. Several onlookers, including contructions workers, managed to get the pit bull to leave the area.
Police say the dog came running back toward the victim while she was being attended to by paramedics, and after it ignored yells to stop, the officer drew his weapon and fired a shot, killing the dog.
The doberman was not killed in the attack and was being treated at a local animal hospital.
The pit bull's owner, 31-year-old Elizabeth Sutila, was charged with having a stray dog and maintaining a vicious animal.
Police say Sutila claims she was getting ready to take the dog for a walk when it pushed passed her and ran out the door.
It's the second time this week a dog and its owner has been attacked by a pit bull. A Yorkie was killed in West Chicago on Tuesday by two pit bulls.
