DETROIT -- A mounted Detroit police officer shot and killed a dog Thursday after she and another officer were attacked while patrolling an area around Rouge Park.

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Officer Relives Scary Episode

Officer Charlette Cardenas told Local 4 that she and the other officer, who was not identified, were issuing a ticket near Cathedral and Pierson streets when a pit bull ran towards them.

Cardenas said that the dog began attacking the horses and she tried to use mace to neutralize the animal.

The spray had little effect on the animal, Cardenas said. She said the other officer shot the dog after it grabbed her boot. The dog then tried to attack the other officer, and the she fired a second time, killing the animal.

The officer regretted having to shoot the dog, but Cardenas said that they had no choice.

Witnesses told Local 4 that the dog's owner lives in the neighborhood. But the animal had no tags and no one has come forward to claim it, police said.

The horses suffered deep bites to their legs, but are expected to recover.

Police said that dogs frequently try to attack the mounted patrols, but typically officers turn and run their horses toward them, which frightens the animals away.