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Witnesses tell NY1 that officers were responding to an ill man near East 14th Street and Second Avenue.

The man had a couple of dogs with him, according to witnesses, and one of the dogs attacked as the police approached.

"He was protecting the owner, like what animals do. He doesn't know any better, he's a dog," said one witness. "They could have handled it differently, rather than shooting the dog. The dog was twitching and rolling around."

"I talked to the cop afterwards. He was very shaken up. He's a dog lover and it ruined his week, if not his year," said another witness. "And he did what he had to do to protect himself."

Animal Care and Control informed NY1 on Tuesday that the dog was in critical but stable condition.

NY1 Update, 8/14/12: The original version of this story said that police fatally shot the dog.