Two O'ahu men face dangerous-dog charges after their pit bulls attacked two women in separate incidents Tuesday, Honolulu police said yesterday.

Bryan Cheplic, spokesman for the city's Emergency Medical Services, said both women were hospitalized in serious condition as a result of dog bites.

The attacks came on the same day a measure was introduced in the state Legislature to prohibit ownership of pit bulls in Hawai'i.

The first dog attack happened around 11:45 a.m. near Kapolei High School. But police said the incident began earlier when two 3-year-old blue nose pit bulls tried to attack security guards at the school.

The dogs had been running loose in the area and suddenly rushed the guards, who managed to positioned a golf cart between themselves and the dogs, police said. The guards chased the dogs away.

The pit bulls then attacked a 59-year-old woman in her driveway on Kama'aha Avenue. The woman suffered lacerations to her right leg and left hand. Police said she fought the dogs off by punching them.

The woman was taken to Hawaii Medical Center West in serious condition. The case was turned over to HPD's criminal investigation division, police said.

Kawehi Yim, spokeswoman for the Hawaiian Humane Society, said the owner of the dogs voluntarily turned the pair over to the facility, where they were still being held yesterday.

Later Tuesday, at around 4:15 p.m., a Kalihi woman, said to be in her 60s, was attacked in her Kilohi Street driveway by a 60-pound brown pit bull. The woman was treated for wounds at the scene and taken to The Queen's Medical Center in serious condition, police said.

The dog owner, a neighbor, was issued a dangerous-dog citation. Although the Humane Society responded to the incident, the dog owner elected to keep the pit bull confined at his home, police said.

Although infrequent, pit bull attacks have caused serious and even fatal injuries in Hawai'i. In October 2008, a mixed pit bull killed a baby girl in her Wai'anae home as she slept.

The bill that would prohibit owning a pit bull follows an incident Jan. 14 when a man allegedly turned his 70-pound pit bull loose on a police detective during a confrontation. The officer was bitten on the stomach and shot the dog, which later died.

Pit bull attacks have led a number of Mainland municipalities to ban or restrict ownership of the breed.

However, Humane Society spokeswoman Yim said the agency does not support prohibition of any specific breed of dog.

"It makes no sense for legislation to profile aggression by a breed," she said. "Even the friendliest dog can become aggressive in the wrong situation. For us, it really is a matter of the owner's responsibility."