Police say a man shot and killed a pit bull Monday afternoon in Coral Springs as the animal viciously attacked another leashed dog. It happened on the 9700 block of NW 47th drive.

 According to investigators, Marc Rappa was walking a friend's boxer named "Edwin" when a neighbor's unleashed pit bull ran from its house and attacked.

 "It made me sick to see," Melody Karp told Local 10's Baron James.

 She and her husband, Rick Karp, saw it all as they were driving out of their garage.

 "I jumped out, but my wife was yelling ‘get back in the car,’" he said. "She thought I'd get attacked. They were going at it."

 Neighbors say the pit bull's owner and family members were yelling for the dog to stop, and at one point it retreated. However, moments later the pit bull attacked again.

 "And the guy's kicking and kicking trying to get them to stop, but they weren't releasing,” said Karp.

 That's when Coral Springs police say Rappa, who has a concealed weapons permit, pulled out a gun and shot the pit bull.

 "He pulled a gun out and shot the dog 3 times, and the third one to the head, and he finally dropped," Karp added.

 The boxer was rushed to Coral Springs Animal Hospital where he was treated for severe dog bites to his back, neck, ear and leg. On Monday evening he was in stable condition and expected to be released on Tuesday pending and X-ray exam and other test results.

 Rappa suffered scrapes and bruises from his struggle with the dogs.

 The pit bull owners were cited for not having their pet leashed.

 "And people keep defending them, and they keep attacking," Karp said.

 "I feel sorry for both the families because it shouldn’t have happened," added his wife.