PONTIAC, Que. -- Two men were taken to hospital with serious injuries after being bitten by a dog in Pontiac, Que., about 40 kilometres northwest of Ottawa.

Police said a 40-year-old man was attacked by his own dog outside his residence on Tuesday evening and that the animal then bit a 69-year-old man who had gone to his aid.

Both men were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening but serious wounds to their arms.

One of them later needed to be transferred to undergo surgery, according to Sgt. Martin Fournel of the MRC des Collines police.

"After a while, the 40-year-old, who was the owner of the dog, had to be transferred to Montreal considering the severity of his injuries," Fournel said.

A third person, a neighbour, intervened to stop the attack and was able to lure the dog into another room by throwing pieces of meat, he added.

Shortly after their arrival, police officers shot the dog with the owner's permission.

The dog's carcass was taken to the local SPCA, where tests will be carried out to determine its breed.