OGDEN — A police officer shot and injured a dog while assisting Child Protective Services during a home visit Tuesday.
About 11:40 a.m., officers were called to help Child Protective Services at a home in the area of 2400 D Street. When the officers approached the home, the dog "came out from behind a vehicle in the driveway and attacked one of the officers," according to a statement from the Ogden Police Department.
The officer then drew his gun and shot the dog "in an attempt to protect himself," officials said. The breed of the dog was not immediately known.
The dog was struck and stopped attacking, according to the statement.
In a video posted to Facebook by the dog's owner, the dog can be seen barking — with blood in its fur around its face and neck — as the owners talk to police.
"This is what the wonderful Ogden Police Department did to our dog today while our dog was on his leash. … He got shot in the face," the owner wrote.
The video was shared by hundreds of people within two hours after it was posted.
Freddy Gallegos, one of the dog's owners, told the Deseret News he believes the shooting was "uncalled for."
He said one of the police officers asked him if the dog is mean.
"And I go, 'Well, I'll get him.' … And so I went over there to get him … and in less than two seconds, the other officer shot him," Gallegos said.
"I mean, he was just protecting our yard," he added.
The dog owner said he got a citation for the dog attack but that he plans to fight it in court.
Animal Control took the dog to a local animal hospital to be treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said.
The department is reviewing the incident.