A dog had to be Sterling Prestoneuthanized after it was stabbed during a dispute between two dog owners in New York City's Central Park, CBS New York reported.

According to police, the owner of Eli, a German Shepherd-pit bull mix, got into an argument with the owner of three unleashed dogs around 8:30 p.m. Saturday. During the argument, one of the unleashed dogs attacked Eli, who was leashed. The owner of the three unleashed dogs then allegedly stabbed Eli, according to CBS New York.

Eli was taken to a nearby clinic, where she had to be euthanized.

"You could tell the dog was injured. It was bleeding out. There was a lot of blood on the floor, but besides that, the owner was distraught. His wife couldn't come close to the dog because there was too much blood on the floor," one witness named Alexander told CBS New York.

The owner of the three unleashed pit bulls ran away and, as of Sunday night, nobody was in custody. It was not clear what the initial argument was about.

The incident happened during the park's mandatory leash hours, which are from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

In:
• Dog Attack
• New York City
• Central Park