Three dogs died and a man was hurt during a vicious animal attack inside a South Jersey home.
Police shot and killed a pit bull after it and another pit bull attacked a man and his Golden Retriever inside their home.
According to NBC40, investigators say two pit bulls ran into Louis and Linda Nell's home on Shore Road in Absecon, N.J. home around 1 p.m. Saturday and began attacking their retriever, "Chrissy."
"Before I knew it, there were two pit bulls on top of my dog,” said Linda Nell. “I started screaming. My husband came to see what was wrong, he tried to get the dogs off…I tried to get the dogs off. We couldn't get them off. My husband fell on top of the three dogs, trying to get them off.”
Louis Nell, 73, was bitten on the hand while trying to stop the attack. Linda called police for help and when they arrived an officer shot one pit bull dead then called animal control to seize the other dog after in ran off into the couple’s bedroom.
The couple’s dog died in the attack.
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“They tore her throat completely open,” said Linda.
The second pit bull was later euthanized because animal officers found it to have a "vicious demeanor," according to Absecon Police.
Louis Nell was hospitalized with a hand injury and chest pains, police said.
Neighbors say the pit bulls were acting out of character and that they could have been infected by a raccoon roaming their neighborhood.
“The raccoon has been around for the past week and a half,” said a neighbor. “It’s been the last couple of days that they've been real loud, barking, and going crazy in the pen.”
Nell was tested for rabies.
The owners of the pit bulls had no immediate comment. Charges are pending against them, police said.
Police and animal control officers are investigating the incident.
