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CYPRESS — Betty Malberg called it “a classic case of biting the hand” that feeds him. In this case the offender was Excalibur, the family-pet-turned-vicious-dog, who was shot and killed by

Cypress police when it turned on Malberg for no apparent reason. A licensed dog breeder, Malberg was feeding the 9-year-old boxer in her back yard Wednesday night when the canine attacked

her. “It was very unusual,” she said. “He started out playing with me, then he began nibbling, and then . . . he got carried away. He began chewing on my left arm.” The 80-pound fawn and

white boxer, known affectionately by the nickname Cal, pinned her against a chain-link gate and continued to snap at her left arm. A neighbor called police, and officers arrived to find

Malberg’s back up against the fence, fending off the snarling, attacking boxer. “They fired one shot in the air and asked me what should they do,” Malberg said. “I said, ‘Shoot him!’ ”

Suddenly the dog charged at the officers, shots were fired, and Malberg turned to see Excalibur fall to the ground. Malberg, 59, was treated by paramedics before being taken to La Palma

Intercommunity Hospital where she received several stitches for multiple dog bites. She praised the officers’ handling of the matter. “To be very frank, I didn’t like that dog,’ Malberg

said, noting that Cal was normally handled by her ailing husband, Eddie. “He was rough. He was a man’s dog.” MORE TO READ