Police shoot rampaging pit bulls

Police shot and killed two pit bulls found running loose and attacking people at the San Leandro Marina on Sunday, police said Monday.

Investigators are working to track down who released the pit bulls. A jogger told police he saw someone let them out of a blue Toyota pickup truck at 6:35 a.m.

When the unleashed dogs ran from the car, they attacked the jogger’s own 7-year-old pit bull. The jogger took his dog to a veterinarian but it had suffered such severe wounds in the attack that it needed to be euthanized, police said.

Another pit bull attack was reported at 11 a.m. The dogs attacked a 60-year-old San Leandro man’s 3-year-old bull terrier and 10-year-old Chihuahua as he was walking them, police said. When the man tried to step in, the pit bulls attacked him.

Guests of the nearby Marina Inn came to his aid and tried to fight the pit bulls back with chairs. The dogs continued attacking but ran away after the man was knocked into the water, police said. The man was taken to Kaiser Medical Center in San Leandro to be treated for dog bites. The Chihuahua required surgery, police said.

Officers started searching for the vicious dogs and found them in the Marina Faire neighborhood. When they ran after them, the dogs ran in different directions. One officer tried to stop the dogs with a Taser stun gun but it didn’t work, police said. Two officers later found one of the dogs on Blue Whale Drive and tried to corner it.

The officers thought the aggressive dog might attack and shot it, police said. The other dog was found near Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish at 2500 Bermuda Ave. Everyone inside the church was told to shelter in place as police tried to stop the dog.

The dog was in the back lot of the church when police arrived and acted aggressively. Officers shot the dog several times but it kept coming at them. They shot it again and it died, police said. Both dogs died from the gunshot wounds.

Police are continuing to look for their owner and are asking anyone with information to call (510) 577-3208.

San Leandro police Lt. Robert McManus said in a statement:

“It is hard for us to understand why anyone would release aggressive dogs in a public place, especially when there are other alternatives, such as dog rescue foundations and animal shelters that could have helped.”