Man says pit bull shot in self-defense

ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) - It was a close call between a man and a pit bull. The man admits he shot the pit bull, even though the dog didn't bite him.

Some people in Roswell have taken to Facebook expressing shock at what the man did, but despite the incident, the dog's owner and the shooter have made amends.

It was dark out Friday night when Brandy Mathewson let her pit bull Bonita loose out front. It wasn't long before Bonita spotted a man near their home out on his evening walk.

"I see this dog running at me, so I started yelling, I said, 'Hey, come get your dog, come get your dog!' And when it got up close to me I saw it was a pit," recalled the man, who did not want to be identified.

At that point, the 69-year-old said the dog charged at him. He reacted quickly.

"It went at my leg and I went in my pocket and pulled the gun" the man told KRQE News 13.  "And I stepped back, and I shot."

He called it a lucky shot. The man said he does not always carry a gun on his walks, but for some reason, did that night.

The .38-caliber bullet went through Bonita's neck and lodged in her side.

"I came outside and 'Bam,' heard the gunshot, and she started running across back to the house on her three legs limping," said Mathewson.

In a panic, Bonita's owners rushed her to the vet. The shooter waited for police to arrive.

"The bullet went through like right here on her left shoulder," said Mathewson, pointing to the wound. "And came through on her side, and when I would hold her I could feel the bullet laying on the inside of her stomach."

The vet was able to remove the bullet with a slight incision. Since the shooting, the neighbors have made amends.

"I don't go around shooting dogs, but this dog was coming after me, and I feared for my safety," said the shooter. "This dog is running at me, I mean he wasn't walking, he was running at me."

Mathewson said she's thankful her dog survived. For the last two years, she said Bonita has been a close companion during her recovery from drug addiction.

"To get her, and to have something to love and to take care of, me and her have been like close.  She's like my child," said Mathewson.

Mathewson said she learned an important lesson from the incident.

"If you're going to have an animal, especially a pit bull I guess I could say, people are more afraid of them than they are of any other dog," she said. "To be responsible, to take care of your animal, to have it on a leash at all times because you're the one that's supposed to protect your animal."

Mathewson said Bonita sustained some nerve damage in her leg, but aside from that she's expected to make a full recovery. The man that shot the dog was cited for not having a concealed carry license. He faces a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a possible fine of $500.