The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority says a police officer shot two pit bulls to death at Dulles International Airport after one dog got out of its kennel and attacked the other.

The airports authority says police responded to the AirFrance cargo area of the airport Thursday for a report of a dog fight.

Airports authority spokeswoman Courtney Mickalonis says the dogs' owner dropped them off to be shipped overseas aboard Korean Air flight 94. She says the dogs arrived in separate kennels, one chewed out of its container and into the other's.

Mickalonis says the officers tried to break up the vicious fight with pepper spray but ended up having to shoot the dogs.

©2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.