Ex-Marine Stabs and Kills Pit Bull After It Attacked Wife, Dogs

A former Marine in California stabbed a pit bull to death after it pounced on his wife and two dogs as they were walking in their Anaheim neighborhood, the Orange County Register reported.

Douglas Perry and his wife Vicki were walking their Siberian Husky, Sierra, and American Eskimo, Buster, Tuesday night when the pit bull approached alone, according to the paper. It first attacked the husky then clamped Vicki Perry's hand in its jaws.

Douglas Perry let go of Buster's leash to allow him to escape the pit bull, but the animal chased the little dog down and bit him, the Register reported. He grabbed a kitchen knife from a neighbor's house and stabbed the attacking dog in the chest, but it would not release its grip on Buster's neck.

The knife cut Perry's hand as the pit bull struggled. Perry had to stab the dog a second time before it let go. The pit bull staggered away, collapsed and died in the street, the Register reported.

The Perrys walked away from the incident with only wounds on their hands. Their dogs were treated for puncture wounds at an animal hospital. Both pets were back home Wednesday and are expected to survive.

Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez said Perry was within his rights to kill the pit bull.

Despite the ordeal, the Perrys were sorry that the animal had to die.

"I hated that I had to stab that dog," Douglas Perry told the paper. “It just wouldn't let go, and I saw no other choice.”

Click here for more on this story from the Orange County Register.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.