TAMPA — A Tampa police officer fatally shot a dog, and the county took another into custody after the loose animals went on a biting spree Tuesday, officials said. Four people were bitten. One refused medical treatment and the others were taken to St. Joseph's Hospital, police said.

The dogs' owner has been notified, said Todd Pratt, spokesperson for Hillsborough County.

The dogs were running loose just after 9 a.m. near the intersection of Dale Mabry Highway and Tampa Bay Boulevard, said Stephen Hegarty, police spokesman. Officials described them as large pit bulls or pit bull mixes.

The dogs had already bitten three people when police arrived. A woman driving a van on Dale Mabry Highway stopped and tried to grab the dogs. The officer yelled for her to get back inside her vehicle, but they bit her before she could.

The dogs turned and charged toward Officer Michael Collins. He fired a shot and hit one.

More officers were called and an attempt was made to try and coral the dogs into the Jerry Ulm Dodge parking lot. Hillsborough County Pet Resources captured the wounded dog, which later died, at this location. Later, they captured and held the other.

Ned Holliman was walking to work when one of the dogs attacked him.

"I feel pretty lucky," said Holliman, who went to the hospital after the attack. "I really only got a scratch. Some people seemed to have been hurt a lot worse."

Contact Jonathan Capriel at jcapriel@tampabay.com.