Officials say intruders broke into an eastern Arkansas animal shelter and set several dogs against each other in what a shelter volunteer called "a bloodbath."

The incident happened Wednesday night at the Humane Society of the Delta in the Mississippi River town of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas.

Human Society official Beth Florek said she got a call about 2 a.m.

Thursday from a caller who reported "the noise the dogs were making." She said two dogs tore life-threatening abdominal, jaw and ear wounds in a third, named Rubio.

Florek said four dogs in all were injured and that Wednesday was the third time someone in four years that someone had broken in and injured animals.

The shelter has had security cameras, but Florek says they've been stolen.