A man and woman were hospitalized after being attacked by dogs in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park early this morning, a police spokesman said.
Police received a 911 call at 6:40 a.m. about a dog attack in the area of John F. Kennedy and Transverse drives, near Lloyd Lake.
Initial reports were that two dogs attacked three people, injuring a 71-year-old woman and a middle-aged man, police Officer Albie Esparza said.
Police responded and administered medical aid until an ambulance arrived, he said. The two injured victims were taken to local hospitals with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.
The third victim, a female, had her clothing torn in the attack but was unhurt, Esparza said.
One of the dogs was captured near Lloyd Lake. That dog, a female believed to be a mixed-breed shepherd, was taken into the custody of San Francisco Animal Care and Control, according to Rebecca Katz, the department's executive director.
The second dog, a male pit bull, was shot at by police officers who used guns and a non-lethal, extended-range bean bag weapon, Esparza said.
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That dog suffered a bullet wound to its face and was being treated at Pets Unlimited, a local veterinary hospital that does contract work for Animal Care and Control, Katz said.
Veterinarians were able to stop the bleeding from the gunshot wound, but were not able to take the bullet out of the dog. The animal is being held for observation overnight, she said.
No one has come forward yet to claim ownership of the dogs, which both had harnesses but no microchips or tags, Katz said.
If no one comes forward after five days, the animals will become the property of the department, she said. If that happens, "then we will make a decision about what to do" with them, she said.
Katz said the female dog, which is about two to three years old and in good health, is not believed to be the attacker, and was merely following the male dog.
