A pack of pit bulls loose in West Fairmount Park attacked and critically injured a 61-year-old man early Friday morning and also hurt a second man, police said.
While two dogs were captured, police said others were still loose and last seen in the area of 2200 Chamounix Dr. shortly after 6:30 a.m. The public was urged to avoid the area while officers and ACCT Philly, which provides animal control services, worked to locate and secure the remaining dogs.
Video from 6abc showed the location of the attack, apparently where Greenland Drive branches separately north and south onto Chamounix Drive.
The dogs were first reported shortly after 2:20 a.m. in the area of 3600 Chamounix Dr. and a responding officer saw a pack of pit bulls and called ACCT Philly, police said.
At least one ACCT Philly officer arrived and attempted to capture the dogs when he was attacked and knocked to the ground, police said.
One of the dogs then charged the police officer, who responded by firing his gun once and missed the dog, police said. The dogs then ran off into nearby woods.
Police said that one dog was captured after the initial encounter, but that the others could not be located.
Shortly after 6:30 a.m., police responded to a report of two men being attacked by a group of dogs in the area of 2200 Chamounix Dr. By the time police arrived, the men had been transported to hospitals by medics.
The 61-year-old man was taken to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition.
A 60-year-old man was taken to Lankenau Medical Center, where he was reported in stable condition. He was later released.
On Friday afternoon, police said a second dog was captured. Police and ACCT Philly were continuing to search for other dogs Friday evening.
Sarah Barnett, executive director of ACCT Philly, said the female pit bull that was caught Friday afternoon was believed to be the mother of some of other adult dogs in the pack.
Barnett said the ACCT Philly officer who was knocked down was not injured.
The officer who fired his gun was described as 39 years old and a 17-year veteran of the department. He was placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of a required internal investigation into the shooting incident, police said.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
