A St. Petersburg man and his 4-year-old daughter were attacked Thursday evening by the family's two dogs, officials said.
John Faucette, 37, said he was in the living room of his home on Yale Street N when he heard his daughter scream, the report said.
Prior to that, she had been playing with the dogs, and they were running through the home together.
Faucette ran into the bedroom and saw that the girl was bleeding from the face, officials said. She said one of the dogs had bitten her.
Faucette picked up his daughter, and the two dogs began attacking him. He fought them off by kicking and punching them, then made his way into the bathroom with his daughter and closed the door, officials said.
Officials said Faucette was eventually able to get out of the bathroom with his daughter. He then grabbed a child's easel and used it to fend off the two dogs so that he, his wife and his daughter could get out of the home.
When officers arrived, they found the family standing outside the home. Paramedics treated the girl's facial wound at the scene. She was then taken to All Children's Hospital for further treatment.
Police said the two dogs were still inside the house and that the other rescue personnel were holding the door closed to keep the dogs inside. Officials said both dogs were "extremely agitated and aggressive, growling, barking and attempting to push the door open."
An animal control officer managed to capture the two dogs with a catch pole. Officials said both dogs were highly aggressive during the capture.
Faucette said the family had had the dogs since they were puppies, and that they had never shown any aggression toward anyone before.
The dogs were euthanized Friday morning.