Pit Bull Shot By Bergen Cop Clings To Life, GoFundMe Campaign Started

A dog that was shot six times by a Ridgewood police officer is clinging to life, the dog’s owners said Tuesday.

Police shot the pit bull after it allegedly jumped out of an open window and charged at the officers during a traffic stop Saturday night, police said. The dog’s owner, Wilfredo Paduani, 38, allegedly ordered the dog to attack police officers, authorities said. The dog was in Paduani’s vehicle unsecured when it attacked police, the cops said.

Related: Ridgewood Cops ‘Neutralize’ Attacking Dog Following Traffic Stop

The dog was taken to Oradell Animal Hospital for treatment.

The dog has a bullet in his trachea, one in his leg, and two in his back and has a collapsed lung.

Christian Paduani started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for surgeries the dog needs to survive. The family is asking for $3,000; $105 has been donated so far.

“Pit bull or not, no dog needs to be shot six times to be restrained,” Paduani said. “It would hurt us drastically to see our family friend pass away due to this situation.”

Ridgewood Police Capt. Jacqueline Luthcke was out of the office and not available for comment. Detective Capt. Forest Lyons could not be reached for comment.

Related: Wyckoff Cop Shoots, Kills Dog After It Bites Him At Mistaken Burglary Location

A Wyckoff police officer shot and killed a dog last year.

Patrolman Kyle Ferreira shot and killed a German Shepherd that bit him on the foot while he was investigating a reported burglary. Ferreira shot the dog twice. An internal investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing.

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A picture of the dog on the GoFundMe page.