A Ripon police officer stopped a pit bull in its mauling of a smaller Yorkie as its owner stood in her front yard in awe.

First Sergeant Steve Merchant said officers had been called out initially on Saturday involving two pit bulls running loose in a residential area in the south central part of the city. They were able to locate the owner, Merchant said, and the dogs were returned to his custody.

On Sunday officers received another call from the same area again reporting two “aggressive” dogs running loose. Arriving on the scene police recognized the animals that they said were reported earlier to be vicious, Merchant said.

The owner could not be contacted and the officers made repeated attempts to secure the dogs with catch poles and other less lethal equipment but they were unsuccessful.

The sergeant said that a resident on Vera Avenue was in her front yard with her small Yorkie. The two Pits reportedly ran toward the small dog and one of them attacked with his mouth covering the head and torso of the Yorkie.

One of the officers finally shot the dog and stopped the attack. The wounded Pit Bull later died from his wound; however the Yorkie survived the attack.

The second Pit Bull was taken into custody and taken to the animal shelter. An investigation into the circumstances regarding the dogs’ escape from the owner’s yard, as well as the attack on the small dog are still under investigation, Merchant said.