Dog attacks in Fairmount Park leave 2 people injured; some dogs still loose

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police and animal control officers are working to catch a pack of dogs after several attacks in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park left two people injured.

Officials are now working to catch the dogs before anyone else is hurt.

It began around 2:20 a.m. Friday when ACCT Philly was alerted to a wild pack of dogs on Chamounix Drive.

Philadelphia police and ACCT Philly responded, and officials say one of the dogs tried to attack an ACCT staffer who was trying to wrangle the animals.

Police fired a gun at the dogs, but missed.

ACCT was ultimately able to catch one of the dogs.

At that point, however, officers decided the dark woods were not safe and planned to come back out at daybreak to catch the four remaining dogs.

"When it's 2 a.m and you've got a pack of dogs in the woods who can see you and you can't see them, it's not very safe," said Barnett.

However, before the sun came up, the dogs attacked two more people.

Around 6:30 Friday morning, a 60-year-old worker in the area found a 61-year-old man lying on the street.

He went to help when the pack attacked him. The 60-year-old worker was taken to Lankenau Hospital where he was treated for dog bites.

The other man is at the trauma center at Penn Presbyterian.

"The problem is you have a pack mentality. Police have been very helpful in blocking off the street, making sure people aren't going down there, but it is scary. You've got a pack of dogs out there that have really seriously injured someone," said Barnett.

ACCT Philly believes someone most likely dumped them near the tennis courts because they keep returning to that area.

Officers are warning the public to stay away.

However, some joggers still took the risk.

"I'm not letting them chew me up and kill me. That ain't happening," said Darryl Shuler. "Based on percentages, there's a zero percent chance."