WASHINGTON — Police shot two loose pit bulls on Capitol Hill Thursday afternoon after seeing the dogs attacking other dogs, Metropolitan police say.
Police say one dog is dead and the other injured. The injured dog was taken to a veterinary hospital.
The officers shot the dogs while on routine patrol in the 800 block of C Street in Northeast.
Police say the investigation revealed that prior to attacking the dogs, the pit bulls had bitten a person and attacked another dog at 10th and Maryland Avenue, Northeast.
The citizen who was bitten was treated on the scene. The officers were not hurt.
“D.C. Animal Control says the dogs’ owner has been identified, they’re conducting an investigation,” says Scott Giacoppo, vice president of the Washington Humane Society, which oversees D.C. Animal Control.
If animal control determined the dogs should have been considered dangerous, it will submit a report to the city’s health department.
In D.C., there are no criminal consequences for owners whose dogs get loose and bite people.
WTOP’s Kristi King contributed to this report. Follow @kingWTOP and @WTOP on Twitter and on WTOP Facebook page.
