A police officer in Fort Dodge, Iowa, stopped three dogs attacking a woman Friday by shooting the canines dead.

A local resident heard a cry for help and called the Fort Dodge Police Department at around 11:25 a.m. An officer arrived to find the attack still in progress. 

After attempts to scare the dogs off proved unsuccessful, the officer shot each of the three dogs multiple times, killing them, the department said in a post on Facebook.

The attack victim suffered serious injuries and was taken by ambulance to a hospital before being airlifted to a second hospital in Des Moines, 70 miles away. On their post Friday night, the police said they didn’t know the woman’s condition.

She wasn’t publicly identified by authorities pending notification with her immediate family. Police investigators are continuing to look into the circumstances surrounding the dog attack.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.