A pit bull was euthanized after it attacked and injured Jehovah’s Witnesses in Washington state on Tuesday, police said.

The incident occured in Arlington, Washington, KIRO-7 reported. The dog allegedly attacked a 70-year-old female missionary as she stepped out of a car and injured three others as they attempted to assist the woman.

Two people inside the home where the missionaries had parked also stepped in to help, the news station reported.

Four victims were taken to a nearby hospital, including the woman who was first attacked. The extent of her injuries is unclear.

“I just heard the screaming,” one neighbor recalled to KIRO-7. “I just thought it was kids. It sounded like a little girl screaming,” the neighbor added.

The pit bull likely escaped through a fence and was “protecting its territory,” Kristen Banfield, an administrator for the city of Arlington, told the news station.

Per the owner's request, the dog was euthanized just hours after the attack.

“He was genuinely concerned; he wanted to make sure the safety of his family and the public was protected,” she said.