by KOMO Staff
(Beacon Hill Blog news partners)

Roving pit bulls attacked two people outside a Mid-Beacon Hill church Thursday night, biting a 3-year-old girl on the face and knocking down a 74-year-old woman, police said.

Officers responded to the scene, in the 5500 block of 17th Avenue South, at about 8:30 p.m. after receiving a report of a little girl attacked by a dog, said Detective Jeff Kappel of the Seattle police.

A preliminary investigation found that the little girl had just left church with her sister and mother and were walking to their car when they were approached by two pit bulls running loose.

As the mom tried to get her daughters away from the dogs and into their car, one of the dogs jumped up and bit the 3-year-old girl on the face.

A few minutes later, both dogs knocked down a 74-year-old woman. She hit her head on the pavement and also injured her hand as she was knocked to the ground.

Medics responded to the scene and transported both victims to Harborview Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The dogs were gone when officers arrived on scene. Police searched the area, but the dogs could not be found and remain at large.

Both dogs were described as full-size pit bulls, Kappel said. One had a white body with black patches on its face and was wearing a collar. The other was all black with a couple of white patches on its face and wearing a blue collar.

It has not yet been determined who owns the dogs.

Animal Control is investigating the attack and is hoping to locate the dogs’ owner. Anyone with information or who spots the dogs is encouraged to call Animal Control at 206-386-3787, and press 7.