ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A pet dog is dead after being attacked by three larger pet dogs at Durand Eastman Saturday, while both owners were taking their dogs for walks, police confirmed.

Shortly before 11 a.m. officers with the Rochester Police Department were called to a parking lot at Durand Eastman Park for the report of three dogs attacking another dog.

Officers said that upon arrival they discovered that the owner of the smaller animal had been walking her dog unleashed around the area. The owner of the three large dogs had been walking them using a loose makeshift rope leash.

When the two crossed paths, police said that one of the larger dogs was able to slip from the rope around his neck and began to attack the smaller animal.

When the owner moved closer to get his loose dog back under control, the other two dogs he was holding began to attack, officers said.

Eventually, the owner of the three large dogs was able to get his pets tied to a tree. At this point, the small dog had died — this is when police arrived, they said.

After the owner of the small dog left the scene, the owner of the large dogs was attempting to take his pets home in his car. At this point, one of the dogs slipped away and began running at officers. At least one shot was fired at the dog, police confirmed, but nobody was hit.

“I thought that animal control would take these dogs and properly do what’s needed to them instead of the owner taking them home,” said Luke LaPorta, an owner of the small dog. “They said it’s up to them to put these dogs down as their choice. So these aggressive dogs can still go out and walk.”

Animal control also responded to the incident, and said that registration paperwork for all pets will be looked at on Tuesday — the nearest business day.

The owner of the large dogs did receive some citations, and more may come after a short investigation by animal control, police said.