Sharpsville Police Chief Bruce Rosa acted lawfully when he shot and killed two pit bulls on March 29, said Mercer County District Attorney James P. Epstein.

Rosa shot the pit bulls -- owned by Geno Blair, 23, of 352 Walnut St. -- after police received a call that two dogs were running loose in the Walnut Street area. Police said the dogs had confronted a pregnant woman and her 2-year-old son and then confronted Rosa and a South Pymatuning Township patrolman.

Epstein said he has reviewed Rosa's report, including statements made by Blair and the people who called the police about the dogs.

Epstein said the dog law states: "It shall be the duty of every police officer ... to seize and detain every dog running at large ... unaccompanied by its owner or keeper." The law goes on to say that police may humanely kill any dog running at large if it poses a threat to public welfare.

"There is a duty placed upon police to detain animals running loose, and they are given the authority under the law to destroy them if they believe they constitute a threat to public health and welfare," Epstein said.

Epstein said that based on the report, Rosa's belief that the dogs were a threat was not unreasonable.

Blair, who was cited for disorderly conduct after his dogs were killed, has set up a memorial in front of his house in honor of his pit bulls, Foxy Brown and Shaft. He claims the police "murdered" them.

Blair said the dogs were locked in their kennel when he left for work that day and does not know how they got out.

"I haven't been able to get a formal answer yet about what happened," Blair said this morning.

He said the police report and the accounts he got from witnesses don't "sound right." He said witnesses have told him the dogs were not aggressive.

Blair says he wants Rosa to justify killing his dogs. He plans to assemble a list of questions about the case and get 1,000 signatures, then present the petition to Rosa.

"I'm not looking for vengenance, revenge. Nothing will bring my dogs out of the ground, nothing will bring my friend back," he said. "I do feel that he (Rosa), as the officer who shot both of my dogs, should have to justify himself to what he did."