Utah woman brutally attacked by son’s pit bulls loses leg

A woman was attacked by her son’s aggressive pit bulls  (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A woman was attacked by her son’s aggressive pit bulls (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A woman in Utah had to have her leg amputated after her son’s pack of pit bulls brutally attacked her.

The woman, 63, was in her backyard on Tuesday when her son’s two burley pit bulls and their puppies ambushed and started to bite her.

The victim sustained “extensive” injuries to her hands, face and legs, with one of her legs injured so badly that it had to be amputated, Taylorsville Police Department wrote in a statement.

Police said their “hearts are heavy” following the dog attack that critically injured the woman, who has not been named.

The attack was still going on when the police arrived on the scene, who made the 911 call at 2.30pm to her mobile home in Taylorsville.

The department told Fox News that officers were “aggressively greeted” by the pack but were able to herd the dogs using pepper spray and contain them in the backyard away from the woman.

However, the mother dog broke loose and was fatally shot by police.

The dogs were handed over to animal services (iStock)
The dogs were handed over to animal services (iStock)

They said that the dog was shot to protect officers and the animal control officers on the scene.

Her 38-year-old son, who lives with his mother, was the owner of the family of pit bulls and handed the father dog and the five puppies over to animal services.

The woman remains in critical condition after the attack, but Police Chief Brady Cottam told the outlet that her phone call to 911 “likely” saved her life.

"This is a tragic situation involving a mother and her son’s dogs in the backyard of their home," Chief Cottam said.

"Our hearts are heavy following this incident, and we are grateful the victim was able to call 911 for help as quickly as she did — even as the attack was happening. It likely did save her life."

It is still unknown what motivated the dogs to attack the woman.

The West Valley City Animal Services and the police department are both investigating the attack.