Ohio man acquitted of dog-shooting charges

CINCINNATI (AP) — A southwest Ohio man has been acquitted of charges in the shooting death of a dog that was attacking his pet in a Cincinnati park.

A Hamilton County judge found 75-year-old Robert Marx not guilty Monday of criminal endangering and other counts from the April 2 shooting at Doris Day Dog Park. Marx said he had no choice after he, the pit bull’s owner and others tried unsuccessfully to pull it off his smaller terrier-mix dog.

Marx fired a Ruger 9 mm handgun he was carrying legally, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported.

He said he owns several dogs and is remorseful about shooting a dog. But felt he had no other way to save his own dog, who was yelping with the pit bull biting his neck.

“I was sure my dog wasn’t going to get home that night if I didn’t do anything,” Marx said.

The judge said Monday that his actions were justified.

“It’s hard to second-guess the outcome of a dog fight,” said Municipal Court Judge Bernie Bouchard.