Three dogs, believed to be “XL bullies,” fatally attack their owner in a San Diego park

Three large dogs attacked and fatally injured their owner in a San Diego neighborhood park on Friday, officials said.

The man has not been identified. A second victim who “sustained serious bite injuries while attempting to assist the first victim” was taken to a hospital and was recovering, officials said.

All three dogs were euthanized Saturday, according to Nina Thompson, a spokeswoman for the San Diego Humane Society, which contracts with the city to help police respond to animal incidents.

Thompson said the animals’ DNA had not been tested, making their breed uncertain. However, a second owner told officials that the animals had been purchased as “XL bulls” – a large, powerful bull mix that is banned in other countries.

San Diego police, which responded to the attack, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Thompson said in a statement provided to the Times that Humane Society police officers responded to Mesa Viking Neighborhood Park in Mira Mesa at 12:13 p.m. Friday after receiving an “urgent call for help” from San Diego police.

The Humane Society and police officers were able to control two of the dogs before finding the third secured in a vehicle, Thompson said.

The dogs were seized as part of “mandatory bite quarantine protocols,” Thompson said. The animals’ second owner later turned them over to the Humane Society and agreed to euthanize them.

The Humane Society has no prior records of the dogs, Thompson said. Video footage was recovered showing the owner walking the three dogs towards the park before the attack.

“At this incredibly difficult time, our hearts and deepest condolences go out to the victim’s family,” Thompson said.