Three large dogs attacked and fatally injured their owner at a neighborhood park in San Diego on Friday, officials said.
The man was not identified. A second victim who suffered “serious bite injuries while trying to assist the first victim” was taken to a hospital and was recovering, officials said.
All three dogs were euthanized Saturday, according to Nina Thompson, a spokeswoman for the San Diego Humane Society, which contracts with the city to help police handle animal incidents.
Thompson said the animals’ DNA had not been tested, making their breed uncertain. However, a second owner told officials that the animals had been purchased as “XL bullies” — a large, powerful bull mix that has been banned in other countries.
The San Diego Police Department, which responded to the attack, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Thompson, in a statement provided to the Times, said Humane Society law enforcement officers responded to Mesa Viking Neighborhood Park in Mira Mesa at 12:13 p.m. Friday after receiving an “urgent call for assistance” from the San Diego police.
The Humane Society and police officers were able to control two of the dogs, before finding the third secured in a vehicle, Thompson said.
The dogs were impounded under “mandatory bite quarantine protocols,” Thompson said. The animals’ second owner later signed them over to the Humane Society, and agreed to their being euthanized.
The Humane Society had no previous record on the dogs, Thompson said. Video footage was recovered showing the owner walking the three dogs toward the park prior to the attack.
“Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to the victim’s loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Thompson said.
