Boston Police Shoot Dog After It Attacks Woman

BOSTON, MA — Boston police shot a dog after they reportedly saw it attack a woman in Roxbury Wednesday evening.

The woman was taken to a hospital with what police described as non life threatening injuries, but is expected to survive.

Police told Patch they did not know the breed of the dog or what may have caused the attack at this time.

Police officers were already in the area when, just before 3:50 p.m. on Eustis Street, when they said they witnessed a dog attacking a woman.

"In an effort to prevent the dog from further injuring the victim, an officer discharged his firearm striking the dog," police said in a statement.

After the shooting, Animal Control came to take custody of the animal, police said, and took the dog to get care. It's unclear what will happen to the dog.

In 2006 there were more than 6,300 dog bite related injuries among Massachusetts residents that required medical attention, 146 of which required admission to a hospital, according to the most recent stats available from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

The Boston Public Health Commission gets some 300 reports of dog bites in Boston every year. Many of the people who are bitten are children, and the majority of these bites don't come from aggressive dogs, according to the commission's website. "Any dog can bite, especially if he or she is scared or startled," reads the website.

In 2013 - the most recent available- the commission said the breeds responsible for the most bites that year were:

1. Mixed breed
2. Pit bull
3. Chihuahua
4. German Shepherd
5. Poodle

>>(For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to your Free neighborhood Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)<<

File Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch