In a South Knoxville neighborhood, a dramatic scene unfolded early Friday morning as the Knoxville Fire Department (KFD) responded to a house blaze where a man was arrested for shooting a dog amongst the chaos. The shooting occurred while firefighters were working to extinguish the flames consuming a residence at the 200 block of Stone Road, which contained 11 people and a pack of 33 dogs, as reported by WBIR.

Caught amidst the desperate efforts to evacuate, one of the dogs began to attack others. The owner, in an attempt to quell the violence, fired upon the aggressive animal. With the Knox County dispatch receiving a call at around 3:23 a.m. alerting to an active fire, it wasn't long before Knoxville Police, already at the scene, detained the shooter, according to WATE.

All human occupants managed to escape safely, but the incident was not without traumatic consequences for the canine residents. The Young Williams Animal Center confirmed caring for one critically injured dog and taking in seven others. The Center added the dire footnote that among the 13 found, one had perished in the ordeal, as conveyed by WATE.

The arrested individual, identified as 43-year-old Gregory Leroy, faces charges of reckless endangerment and possessing a stolen firearm. KFD officials relayed that after Leroy had shot the attacking dog, police took him into custody, as reported by WVLT. Tragically, the fire inflicted significant damage upon the home, with Animal Control arriving to manage the aftermath. Most dogs and their human counterparts were outside, barreling against the spectacle of a spreading fire that KFD remains committed to investigating the cause of.