Four people were injured after three pit bulls got loose in a North Babylon neighborhood Monday night.

Police say the dogs escaped from kennels in the backyard of a home on Woods Road and began biting people a little before 7:30 p.m.

In one incident, a police officer was attacked. He fired two shots, but the dogs were not hit.

Two of the four people hurt went to the hospital, but authorities say their injuries were not life-threatening.

Gill Link, 72, was walking with his family when he was attacked by the dogs. He had to get 20 stitches and is now getting rabies shots.

"It was scary," says Link. "It was a horrible situation."

Police say it took more than two hours to get the dogs back into their yard. They say the owner did eventually show up. Animal welfare groups on the scene say the dogs were not trained and were very scared.

"This is a recipe for disaster, these dogs not being socialized, not being neutered," says Frank Floridia, of Strong Island Animal Rescue. 

Neighbors say the dogs have gotten loose several times over the past few months and that they don't understand why the dogs weren't removed from the home by authorities. One neighbor says the incident was like a scene out of a scary movie.

Animal welfare experts say that as of Tuesday afternoon the dogs were removed from the property.

John Spat, of Save a Dog Animal Protection Services, says the dogs were removed, so neighbors can feel safe now.

The town of Babylon and Suffolk County police are investigating.