Imho, once the dog crossed the line from "acting aggressively" into an actual attack, I think shooting the dog was not only justifiable, I believe that is what SHOULD have been done.
Background - I have lived my entire life around large dogs, and ones that have a traditional "bad reputation". My mother raised German Shepherds back in the 1960s & 70, where all of her friends also had Dobermans and Rotts. I do not fear dogs - any dog - and have full confidence in my ability to handle even those that are outright aggressive (including a pit bull in the middle of a fight).
I give this background so that you can understand what I am about to say: a dog that will attack unprovoked IS a life threatening danger. The size of the dog is irrelevant. Therefore, this is precisely the kind of situation where the use of a weapon is called for.
How is that for my first post?
