Woman being mauled by pack of dogs saved by off-duty cop passing by, PA police say

A Pennsylvania woman being mauled by a pack of dogs was rescued when an off-duty police officer happened to drive by, officials told news outlets.

It was 10:38 a.m. May 14 when the Philadelphia officer saw three dogs — which authorities said were pit bulls — attacking a woman on the city’s west side, WCAU reported.

He got out of his car and went to help, police told the station. The owner of the dogs was trying to get them off the woman, but the attack only ended after the officer opened fire on one of the dogs, killing it, police said.

Witnesses told police the man was walking the three dogs, all of which were leashed, when they broke away and went after the woman, WPVI reported. The 52-year-old, who police have not publicly identified, suffered injuries to her arms, legs and head, and was taken to a hospital.

“I heard pow, pow, pow. Five shots,” witness Jimmy Rese told the station, adding that he thinks the officer “did the right thing.”

The dog that was shot reportedly ran to the backyard of the owner’s home where it died, police told WTXF. The owner got control of a second dog, but the third is missing and unaccounted for, according to the department.

The woman is reported to be in stable condition, officials told the outlet.

This story was originally published May 15, 2024 at 2:02 PM with the headline "Woman being mauled by pack of dogs saved by off-duty cop passing by, PA police say."