A man has died in a shocking dog attack after he tried to save his tiny poodle from being mauled.
Police and fire service crew attended the scene in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday to find the victim on the ground being fed upon by one of his neighbour's dogs.
In dramatic scenes officers then opened fire on a rogue pet after it began charging at them.
A 69-year-old, who has not been named, was pronounced dead at the scene from his injuries.
Investigators say the man had walked out of his home into his garden after hearing a sudden noise outside, where he discovered three of his neighbour's dogs had gained access through the fence.
Two of them were attacking his pet poodle. He then attempted to intervene to rescue his own dog before he was knocked to the ground, suffering severe injuries in the mauling that followed.
Describing the police's response to the incident, Lt. Larry Crowson with the Houston Police Department said: "Officers arrived, along with the fire department. They found an adult male in a residence here. There was at least one dog attacking the person when the fire department got here.
“The officer fired one shot, striking the dog and the dog ran off back in the other yard.”
Neighbours described the victim as a quiet man who has some visible physical disabilities, with one telling NBC's Click 2 Houston: “He was always out checking the mail and would come to play with my cats or call my cats.”
The two surviving dogs have been taken to an animal shelter in the city. Details of their breeds have not yet been released.
The owner is said to have co-operated with officers at the scene, with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to determine later whether they will face charges.
