Victims of a North Bellport attempted home invasion thwarted a group of masked gunmen that tried to break into their home before the assailants fatally shot the family’s dog on Thursday afternoon, Suffolk County police said.
Four to five men tried to force their way into a home on Montauk Highway near the corner of Doane Avenue, but some of the residents tried to push the door closed shortly after 3 p.m., police said.
“The suspects sprayed them with a chemical substance,” police said in a news release.
As the victims were shutting the door, a family dog—an 11-year-old, three-legged female pit bull named Sarah—raced out of the door, police said.
The gunmen shot the dog with a small-caliber handgun before they fled the scene empty handed. The dog died from her wound.
Fifth Squad detectives are continuing the investigation.
