An English Bull Terrier was shot dead after it attacked a Border Collie dog in Beverly, Mass. The dog had apparently escaped from a house and gone on the rampage. The Bull Terrier was unleashed and out of control and the Border Collie owner tried unsuccessfully to kick the terrier away as it tore at the other dog's head and throat.

Police tried several times to stop the attack by using pepper sprays but the terrier persisted in its attack , so there was no choice but to shoot it as it was a danger to other animals and people. Although Beverly has a leash law, an animal control officer said that prosecution was unlikely because the Bull Terrier was not intentionally loose and the owner was looking for it when the attack occurred. Wickedlocal.com reported that there had rarely been instances where shooting an out of control dog had been necessary and it was rare for animal control to take such drastic action.

However, the English Bull Terrier, also known as Pitt Bull Terrier, is listed in UK as a dangerous dog and must be registered and muzzled in public. There have been several reports of attacks by these dogs on children and in all these cases the offending animal was destroyed.