Two women were hospitalized in a two-dog pit bull mauling early Wednesday night near New Castle, police said. Officers shot both dogs: one is dead and the other was injured.

The 70-year-old dog owner and a 20-year-old family member were transported to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, Master Cpl. Michel Eckerd of New Castle County Police said.

Police responded to a dog attack in the unit block of Scottie Lane around 6:30 p.m. The dogs pulled their owner and a woman who was visiting from the house.

More:Neighbors tried to help, but attacking pit bulls didn't stop until shot

Both women were on the ground as the dogs mauled them in the front yard, Eckerd said.

Neighbors in Melanie Woods were honking horns, yelling and making loud noises to try to distract the dogs. It wasn't until an officer walked into the yard and yelled that one of the pit bulls stopped attacking the women and charged toward him.

The officer shot the dog once and it ran off down the street, Eckerd said. The second pit bull began running toward the officers, and three officers fired at the dog, killing it.

The women had serious dog bites on their arms and legs, Eckerd said.

Authorities found the wounded dog and it was removed by animal control.

There was a third dog, a Chihuahua, that also lived at the home but it was not involved in the dog attack.

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Contact Josephine Peterson at (302) 324-2856 or jhpeterson@delawareonline.com. Follow her @jopeterson93.