Authorities say a pit bull attacked two people in Farmingdale Wednesday afternoon before the dog had to be shot in the hip by police in order to subdue it.

The black and white dog was on the loose near a nursery school, onlookers say, and wearing a collar and broken leash. Jerry Avenella, 58, says he saw the dog in the Chase parking lot near his home and thought it was his neighbor?s Labrador at first.

Avenella says he tried to prevent the dog from getting away. ?So I stepped on the leash and he attacked,? he says.

He says the dog bit him in the stomach and hip before it took off past St. Luke?s Nursery School, where children were outside.

Police and animal control tried to tranquilize the dog, but say it kept on going. The animal then bit a 49-year-old woman on the hand, according to police. Officers say they had no choice but to shoot the dog to make it stop.

The dog died on the way to animal control. Police say they don?t know who it belonged to.