Phildelphia police shot at two large dogs, killing one, as they viciously mauled a man in North Philadlephia early Monday.
The man, who police say is in his 50s but was otherwise not identified, suffered significant blood loss and injury during the incident, which unfolded around 4:30 a.m. at 6th and Tioga streets. The man was pulled to the ground, shaken, and bit several times in the arms and legs by a 100-pound bullmastiff and a pit bull, NBC reported.
Police responded to the area after receiving reports of a man screaming. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told outlets that wounds were so deep that bone was visible through the wounds, and police had to make tourniquets to stop the flow of blood.
Police arrived on scene and discharged their service weapons to stop the dogs. The bullmastiff was killed when police opened fire. The pit bull ran away, but was struck by a bullet as it escaped.
The victim was rushed to Temple University Hospital and was reported in critical condition as of Monday afternoon.
It’s not clear where the dogs came from, and no charges have been filed in the incident. The investigation is ongoing as police interview witnesses. Surveillance cameras reportedly caught the attack on video.
According to the American Kennel Club, bullmastiff’s can be as tall as 27 inches and weight up to 100 pounds. Whereas pit bulls, according to CanineJournal.com, weigh on average somewhere between 30-65 pounds and can be as tall 21 inches. According to Dogbite.org, about 4.5 million dog bites occur every year in the United States, and one out of five usually get infected. The organization reports that dog bites occur every 75 seconds in the United States.
