An animal believed to have been an exotic pet was shot and killed by a police officer in Violet Township, Ohio, according to the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office.
WCMH reported the Ohio Department of Natural Resources identified the cat as a serval, a wild cat that is native to Africa.
WBNS reported the Fairfield County Sheriff's Office said in a Sunday Facebook post that an officer had to shoot the animal, which had attacked a dog.
The cat was wearing a black collar and was "most likely a pet," according to police.
The animal had to be shot for the officers safety as it began growling and became aggressive, police said.
The condition of the dog is not known, WBNS reported.
According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, a permit is required to own a serval, and no one in the area is allowed to have the animal.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/INIPJDENXRDZJDZJH25FT7D76U.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/YWLLY32U7NBE3CGYFN5WXO57LY.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/VEL35QBB4JA3TEY3SDLNACI7AI.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/TZFNRJK3UZCNDLRYME4GGG22UA.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/QNTNKF26Q5AOFGDVRSNPJM3FZE.png)