Off-duty officer shoots dog

ELKHART, IA (CNN) - Vicious animal or lovable family pet? An Elkhart, Iowa family cannot understand why a state trooper killed their black lab.

The city code in Elkhart prohibits the firing of a weapon in city limits. But the person who pulled the trigger, Michael Current, was an off-duty trooper.

The officer tried to use his mace first, but that did not deter the neighbor dogs to try and run them off from being aggressive towards Gus. Justin Frampton said his dog, Gus, was not a vicious dog. He said there were no attack marks on the trooper or on the trooper's dog so he does not think Gus attacked anyone. He is not sure how Gus got out of the backyard.

"The first question is 'why?'" said Frampton. "It doesn't make any sense."

The patrol's Professional Standards Bureau said it appears Officer Current did not violate any work policies, however. No charges have been filed.