Three large dogs attacked and fatally injured their owner at a neighborhood park in San Diego on Friday, authorities said.
The man was not identified. A second victim who suffered “serious bite injuries while attempting to help the first victim” was taken to a hospital and was recovering, authorities said.
The 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 mix of large, powerful bulls 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 the Mesa Viking Neighborhood Park in Mira Mesa at 12:13 p.m. Friday after receiving an “urgent call for assistance” from San Diego police. Diego.
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 seized under “mandatory bite quarantine protocols,” Thompson said. The animals' second owner later gave them to the Humane Society and agreed to be euthanized.
The Humane Society had no previous records of the dogs, Thompson said. Video footage was recovered showing the owner walking the three dogs to the park before the attack.
“Our hearts and deepest condolences go out to the victim's loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” Thompson said.
