An elderly couple was hospitalized and their dog was killed after being attacked by two pit bulls in Greenville Thursday.

A woman and her husband were walking their son's small dog on Trescott Street when two pit bulls attacked them, said Donnie Porter, a spokesman for the Greenville Police Department. The pit bulls were euthanized following the attack and the couple's small dog later died, a county spokesperson and a family member of the victims said.

Porter said the woman picked up her dog when she saw the pit bulls aggressively approaching and held her dog during the attack.

She suffered an injury to her arm and was taken to a hospital, Porter said.

The woman's husband was able to fight the dogs off, but suffered an injury to his hand and was also taken to a hospital, Porter said.

Neither of their injuries were life-threatening, he said.

Their daughter, Alison Lowry, said her mom was back in the hospital Thursday afternoon when her wounds wouldn't stop bleeding.

"The dog would not let go (of her arm). If my dad hadn’t been there my mom would be dead," she said in a Facebook message.

The incident took place at 10:08 a.m. Thursday outside 3 Trescott St., Porter said. No one answered the door to the home near where the attack occurred. The address is in the Southernside community off West Washington Street, about a half mile from downtown Greenville.

The couple's dog, Max, suffered spinal cord damage and a punctured lung during the attack. He later died.

"He was with our family for a short time but we are crushed... I know it could have been so much worse, but we are all devastated. We’ll miss his cute underbite, his sassy Mohawk and all of the snuggles. He’s been a wonderful member of our family," Lowry wrote in a Facebook post.

The pit bulls were seized by City of Greenville Animal Control and are being held in quarantine at the Greenville County Humane Society. County spokesman Bob Mihalic said Thursday afternoon the dogs had been euthanized.

Porter said the dogs were not wearing rabies tags.

Porter did not immediately know where the pit bulls came from or who their owners were. It was not immediately known what prompted the pit bulls' aggression.

"When the owners are found, we anticipate there being charges," Porter said.

Lowry said it appeared the dogs escaped from a nearby yard.

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