It was not badass; it was purely survival instinct. The owner could not pull him off me and the dog was on top of me - tearing at me. There was no thought involved in shooting it.
In other news, when I was twenty, I just about killed a man in Philadelphia who tried to pull me into an alley to rape me. I was only armed with what my dad taught me in self defense and spiked heels. It was a bloody mess. I have no idea why that energy kicks into gear within me when I have needed it.
The good news is my husband is not a wife beater.;)
WOW... what a mind image that is. I hardly ever wear heels. As I am tall enough without to be intimidating people as it is without standing over them.
I do have one decent dog story. One night, out in the country visiting family, I went outside to get something in the backyard when I heard a big dog's bark not but a few feet away. Before I knew it I was sitting on top of the shed. Someone had to get me down. (I'm only 5') Next morning I tried and tried to get back up on that shed and I couldn't. It was too high.