A man who was mauled by four pit bulls in South Seattle on Wednesday night could face criminal charges for trespassing, according to Seattle police.

The man had apparently climbed a 10-foot fence around 9 p.m. and entered the yard illegally, said department spokesman Sgt. Sean Whitcomb. Once in the yard, the man was attacked by the dogs.

"The person had no business being there and this was their dog run, so to speak," Whitcomb said. "The dogs were blameless; they were merely protecting their area. We're going to be requesting charges of criminal trespass on this person. It's a misdemeanor-level offense."

Whitcomb said that the homeowner heard the commotion and called the dogs off and placed them into a kennel.

"The suspect was unable to walk due to his injuries, so the homeowner placed the suspect on a hand truck and moved him to the street," Whitcomb said. "The homeowner flagged down a passer-by and asked them to call 911."

Seattle Fire Department medics provided first aid and then took the man to Harborview Medical Center for further treatment. His injuries were not life-threatening, police said.

The man suffered a number of puncture wounds and extensive injuries to his head, arm, neck and an ear, according to Seattle Fire Department spokesman Kyle Moore.

The homeowner provided police with licenses and veterinary records for the dogs, Whitcomb said.

Seattle Animal Shelter Director Don Jordan said that they are investigating the incident and will look into whether the dogs have any previous history of biting. He said the dogs were quarantined on Thursday, as is routine with any dog-bite investigation.

"I don't have any reason to believe anything is going to happen to the dog owner or the dogs," Jordan said. "But he can only have three dogs, so he is in violation of the zoning code."

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @SeattleSullivan.