Two women bitten by dogs in Prince George's County, police kill one dog

Police in Prince George’s County shot and killed one dog and captured another after two women were bitten by the same three dogs near Kenilworth Avenue and Decatur Street, a scene that quickly turned into a county animal-control and internal-affairs case.

Officers were called at about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to the intersection, where they found a woman who had just been attacked by three dogs and was treated at the scene for non-life-threatening bite wounds. A second woman was attacked nearby by the same dogs and was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening bite wounds.

Later, citizens alerted officers that the dogs were still running in the area. A patrol officer then found the three dogs actively attacking a fourth dog. As the officer moved in to check on that dog’s condition, the three dogs came back around the corner of a house. Police said the officer fired in fear for his safety, striking and killing one dog.

The officer used an issued dog pole to capture a second dog, while a third ran away. Animal Control was notified and took the captured dog. The Prince George’s County Police Department Internal Affairs Division is investigating the shooting.

The episode underscores how fast loose dogs can become a broader neighborhood threat, not only to people but to other animals in the area. County guidance says dog bites should be reported to police and the Prince George’s County Health Department right away so the animal can be observed and rabies risk can be assessed.

Prince George’s County says dogs bite about 5 million people nationwide each year. Nearly 60% of dog-bite victims are children, and about 70% of bites happen on the pet owner’s property. County rabies guidance also says an exposed dog or cat cannot receive a rabies vaccination until after a 10-day quarantine.

For residents near Kenilworth Avenue and Decatur Street, the county’s immediate instruction is clear: report aggressive animals to police and the Health Department, and keep the animal in sight if it can be done safely. After an officer shoots a dog, the case can move into both law-enforcement review and animal-control handling, with the surviving animal subject to quarantine and follow-up.