TAFT, Calif. -- City officials in Maricopa are breathing a collective sigh of relief as residents' attempts to get a restraining order against Police Chief Gene Fretheim failed Monday.

Judge Craig Phillips ruled there was no evidence to support claims Fretheim intended to harass several residents after Fretheim shot their dog in September.

The hearing stemmed from an incident in which Fretheim shot the pit bull of Lisa Chavez near her home in Maricopa on September 8.

The dog was unleashed and was not wearing a collar, and was outside of a fence surrounding the backyard of Chavez's home. It posed a threat to Fretheim and other city workers, he said.

"Under the same circumstances, I would still do exactly what I did that day," Fretheim said after the hearing.

Lutie Thompson, Chavez's attorney, argued the shooting was excessive force, and that since the shooting, Fretheim posed a security threat to Chavez and her family by watching them on their property.

But Fretheim countered by saying he went to the property to gather measurements and other evidence for the hearing, and said he never stepped outside his role as the city's police chief.

The hearing proved to be a vote of confidence for Fretheim, as city officials had said if the restraining order was granted, Fretheim's future with the city would be in jeopardy.

A civil action could still be taken against the city, but did not appear likely, Thompson said.

Oct. 6, 2009: Maricopa Chief Recovers Guns After Restraining Order Confusion