LOCK HAVEN — The Clinton County district attorney says he feels terrible for the family whose dog was fatally shot by a state trooper in their home during a welfare check last month.

But District Attorney David Strouse said Monday that after reviewing the state police body cam of the incident, the unidentified trooper was in an untenable position of being attacked repeatedly by the dog.

The trooper was clearly heartbroken after the incident and clearly felt he had no other choice at the moment, but that doesn’t make it any easier or more comforting for anyone involved, he said.

“I feel terrible for the family affected,” Strouse said. “The family lost their beloved pet, who, I am sure, was like a member of their family. I cannot imagine how awful the experience has been for that family.”

Unlike when a member of law enforcement shoots a human, the district attorney does not need to rule whether use of force was justified against an aggressive animal unless requested to do so by the department involved, he explained.

State police have not asked him to provide an opinion in this case, he said.

They announced Sunday that an internal investigation is being conducted into the Jan. 26 incident at the home along Renovo Road in Allison Twp. outside Lock Haven.

The 9-year-old pit bull-boxer named Kada belonged to Chase Counsel, the live-in boyfriend of Jennifer Shaffer, the mother of four teenage girls who were home alone that day because schools were closed due to heavy snow.

A trooper was sent to the house about 11:40 a.m. after the Central Mountain Middle School reported someone at that location using a school-owned computer had sent a concerning email.

Shaffer told PennLive one of her daughters was venting and had sent the email to a friend that was flagged.

The trooper did not gain access to the home. Once Shaffer learned of the situation at work, she said she called home, learned everyone was safe and notified the school.

She says school officials told her the welfare check would be canceled and that state troopers involved would be notified. She returned to work believing no further action was needed, she said.

While being driven home by Counsel after work, Shaffer said she received a frantic phone call about 7:30 p.m. from her daughters informing her one of their two dogs had been shot.

The shooting occurred after a different trooper went to the house. Body cam video shows the dog attacking the trooper when the door was opened, a state police news release states.

Daughter Kimberly, 11, claimed the trooper kicked the dogs, Shaffer said. She was standing next to the trooper when he shot Kada, she said, and is traumatized, as are her sisters, she said.

State police say the dog attacked the trooper twice. The first time it ripped his pants and tore his boot, and the second grabbed onto his arm. He was treated at UMPC Lock Haven.

None of the daughters or the second dog, Bambi, were injured.

Shaffer says she wants to know why a trooper went to the house in the evening after she assured school officials there were no issues at the home.

The state police release states it was suggested they should personally check on the welfare of the student who had sent the flagged email.

Attempts to learn from the state police if the trooper who shot the dog had been placed on administrative leave were unsuccessful.