Two women have been seriously injured after a savage dog attack at a Williams Street property in Broken Hill yesterday.
At about 1:00pm police and ambulance services were called to the scene where they were "confronted" with the aftermath of the incident.
Upon arrival, police found one woman aged in her 60s and one in her 50s severely wounded and an aggressive bull mastiff.
Barrier Police Detective Inspector Tom Aylett said the officers were forced to shoot the dog.
"When police arrived the dog was still quite aggressive," he said.
"It is a confronting scene, traumatic for the people involved and the emergency services."
Detective Inspector Aylett said there was only one dog involved in the incident and wanted to assure residents there were no violent strays running around the city.
"That dog wasn't a stray dog, it was known to the occupants of that house," he said.
Medical evacuations
Both victims were transported to Broken Hill Hospital yesterday.
Detective Inspector Aylett says the woman in her 60s remains in hospital in a stable condition and is being prepared for medical transfer to Royal Adelaide Hospital.
"Unfortunately, that dog has severely injured that lady in her 60s and she will be flown from Broken Hill for further medical treatment," he said.
The woman in her 50s has already been flown to Royal Adelaide Hospital due to the extent of her injuries.
South Australia Health confirmed a 53-year-old woman was in a serious but stable condition at the healthcare facility.
Detective Inspector Aylett offered some advice for people confronted with an aggravated dog.
"In those circumstances, it's best to not try and provoke the dog in the sense of running towards or running away," he said.
"That will entice the dog to probably give chase.
"Certainly, if you have a mobile phone contact triple-zero (000)."
Detective Inspector Aylett says police are not pursuing the incident as a criminal matter and that it has been horrible for all involved.
