The owner of the pit bull that attacked and killed a chocolate Labrador retriever had Shadow put down as a Frederick County Animal Control officer moved to have the dog deemed dangerous, Director Harold Domer said last week.

Of 44 taserings studied by The Frederick News-Post, Shadow was the lone animal in the county reported to receive that form of force.

Brunswick Police Chief J.J. Smith ruled the use of force appropriate.

Brunswick Officer Chris Handler had responded to investigate the attack on the Labrador, named Brittney, in her front yard.

When Handler arrived at about 9:35 p.m., he saw Shadow chewing on Brittney's neck. The wounded dog was on its side. Shadow started dragging the bleeding animal across the front yard.

Shadow charged Handler as he got out of his vehicle.

"The pit bull came running toward this officer," Handler wrote in his report.

Handler fired his Taser and hit Shadow on his left side.

The dog yelped and ran behind a residence in the 200 block of East K Street.

After finding Shadow, the dog's owner put the pit bull in a cage in her house, according to the report.

Two days later, she had a veterinarian put the animal down.

-- Kate Leckie

	COMPLETE COVERAGE Go to fredericknewspost.com/taserturmoil for complete coverage. — — — DATABASE Search through 44 reports of Taser use by the county's police agencies from April 2007 to July 2008 Age breakdown Click the image for a look at the age breakdown of those who were tasered.