2 bitten in South LA by bullmastiff dogs; police shoot, kill 1 dog

At least two people in South Los Angeles were bitten today by dogs that police described as bullmastiffs, one of which was fatally shot, according to police and reports from the scene.

The attacks occurred in 4000 block of Slauson Avenue and on nearby West 58th Place, starting about 1 a.m., Los Angeles police Lt. Julie McAlpine of the 77th Street Station said.

"I heard somebody screaming like for they life," a man at the scene told RMG News. "Like screaming, `Help me God! Somebody please help me!'

"We rushed outside and seen three big old pit bulls," the man said. "Like these are monster pit bulls, surrounding her."

The woman was attacked, and a motorist who stopped to pull the dog or dogs off her also apparently was bitten, RMG News reported.

At least one dog was put in a police car, but an officer fatally shot another one, according to RMG News.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. John Sullivan confirmed that two people were taken to hospitals.

Animal control officers eventually caught a third dog, and the two surviving animals were taken to a shelter, according to RMG News.

Bullmastiffs are a cross between bulldog and mastiff, originally bred in England as guard dogs on game preserves and hunting estates to stealthily track and catch poachers, according to the American Kennel Club.