Two pit bulls fatally attacked another dog Tuesday on Detroit's southwest side, police said.

The dog was walking with its owner in the 2200 block of Edsel about 10:55 a.m. when the pit bulls appeared to have left a backyard and mauled the animal, said Officer Vanessa Burt, a spokeswoman for the Detroit Police Department.

The 45-year-old owner, who tried to intervene, also suffered a bite to his finger, she said.

He was treated and released. His pet was pronounced dead.

Detroit animal control officers responded to the scene and took the pit bulls, Burt said.

Representatives with the Detroit Health Department, which oversees the animal control unit, did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Tuesday.

The incident comes a week after 9-year-old Emma Hernandez was fatally mauled by three pit bulls as she rode her bicycle in a west-side neighborhood.

The dogs' owner, Pierre Cleveland, 33, has been charged with murder.

Emma's death has sparked outrage and calls for action.