Bue the Weimaraner is fighting for his life this week after a routine visit from a neighborhood security officer turned into a pet owner's nightmare.

Hoping to get information about a car parked in the street, a patrolman knocked on the door of a River Oaks' home last Saturday morning. When the door opened, Bue darted out of the house.

According to witnesses interviewed by KPRC Ch. 2, the officer from the neighborhood-funded River Oaks Patrol was standing about 15 feet from the dog in the front yard. Bue — pronounced like "view" with a "B" — was perched in the flower bed.

Eyewitnesses say the patrolman appeared to be frightened and pulled the homeowner so she was positioned between him and the dog. When Bue started barking, the man fired his weapon, piercing the dog's shoulder.

"We knew it was a gunshot and it was terrifying," Kay Zeidman, a neighbor who was outside during the incident, said.

"The dog was fighting for its life," said Jay Zeidman, Kay's son who saw the aftermath. "It was an unfortunate scene. It was screaming and crying . . . just a terrible sound."

Bue's right front leg has been amputated, and he remains in critical condition. The case is currently under investigation by the Houston Police Department, according to the KPRC news report.

HPD spokesperson Kese Smith said situations involving dogs are treated on a case by case basis for the department. "If an officer feels like his or her life is threatened, or if another person's life is in danger," he explained, "that officer is permitted to use deadly force."

When asked for a comment, the River Oaks Patrol told CultureMap one of the security group's board members would call with a statement in the near future. No call has come yet.