Police say an officer had to shoot a dog at All Aboard Grooming and Kennels in Dagsboro June 6 after it attacked a state Office of Animal Welfare officer.

Officers from Delaware State Police, Dagsboro, Frankford and Selbyville were called to the shelter at 32978 DuPont Blvd. shortly before 4 p.m. for a dangerous dog actively attacking an animal-control officer.

Dagsboro Police Department Chief Floyd Toomey said a Dagsboro officer was the first on scene, and saw a white-and-brown dog, described by police as a pit bull breed, viciously attacking the 28-year-old female officer.

The Dagsboro officer immediately engaged the dog, which only increased the ferocity of the attack, Toomey said. Fearing for the victim's safety, the Dagsboro officer shot and killed the dog as other police units and emergency personnel arrived on scene.

The woman was treated on-scene by Frankford Fire Department EMS and Sussex County paramedic units before she was taken to Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, where she was treated and released.

“The Dagsboro officer's actions were decisive, crucial and heroic in bringing a close to the brutal attack on the victim officer, potentially saving life and limb,” Toomey said in a press release.

All Aboard Kennels includes a facility leased by Brandywine Valley SPCA, which is contracted by the state for shelter services. The leased Dagsboro facility serves as a satellite location to Brandywine’s main shelter in New Castle, said Office of Animal Welfare spokeswoman Andrea Wojcik. The attacking dog was a stray in the Office of Animal Welfare’s care, All Aboard Kennels said in a statement.

“This is the location that OAW officers take dogs that are found in Sussex County for the stray hold period of 72 hours to facilitate owner reunification,” Wojcik explained.

Wojcik said the department is grateful for the assistance of all the police agencies and the officer is recovering from the injuries sustained during the attack.

“Working with animals can be unpredictable and while OAW trains its officers to be ready for any situation possible, there are times when circumstances out of officers’ control occurs, and part of our post incident protocols are to analyze what happened and determine, what if anything can be done to prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future,” she said in an email.

Wojcik said the Division of Public Health, which oversees the Office of Animal Welfare and Delaware Animal Services, will not be releasing any additional details to protect the officer’s privacy.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated.