Dog Attacks Owners Before Being Shot By Peabody Police

Updated 12:00 p.m.

PEABODY, MA — Police fatally shot a dog in Peabody after the dog attacked its owners late Thursday night, according to Peabody police.

The attack began after the dog ran from its home on Endicott Street around 10:45 p.m. to chase a cat. When the owners, a man and a woman, rushed outside to get their dog, it began to attack them, police said Friday morning.

Police said the owners — who had already sustained "extensive" injuries with the man "bleeding heavily" — jumped on top of a car to escape the attack. Police said when they arrived the owners attempted to get down from the car but that the dog attacked them again "latching on to the woman's head and shaking her."

"The officer felt the female party was in danger of serious bodily injury or death" and "used his service firearm to neutralize the dog," police said.

Peabody fire and Atlantic Ambulance treated both victims at the scene and they were taken to Salem Hospital. As of late Friday morning, Peabody police said the man was still being treated while the woman had been released.

Peabody and State police were continuing their investigation as of Friday.