Elderly Woman Attacked by Pit Bulls

The pit bulls reportedly crashed through the victim's fence to get to her dog

An elderly woman was hospitalized following a pit bull attack Friday in the San Carlos area. 

San Diego Police said it started as a fight between the victim's dog -- a Malamute -- and two pit bulls in the 8900 block of Ferguson Way just after 6 p.m. 

Neighbor Bob Hansell told NBC 7 the pit bulls crashed through 70-year-old Monica Duitsman's fence, trying to get to her dog, "Strider." 

Duitsman's hand was reportedly bitten -- her bones crushed -- trying to pull the dogs apart. She was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Strider suffered an injury to his left ear, but he returned home around 10 p.m. after being treated.

NBC San Diego spoke with Duistman on Saturday after the ordeal. She said she spent five hours in an emergency room being treated for her injuries and returned to her home after being released.

“I got bitten right here,” she said as she showed her bandaged left wrist.

Duistman added that she and Strider were on antibiotics and that the fight left both of them a bit traumatized.

"They seemed like gentle dogs," she said, "I don't know what triggered it. It's just too bad that it happened."

"This is kind of something we voiced a concern when they moved in; unfortunately it came up tonight," said Hansell.

Hansell said he reinforced his fence when the pit bulls moved in two months ago and had helped Duitsman do the same. However, the reinforcements did not hold. 

Animal control, which took the dogs, will quarantine them for 10 days to check for rabies. 

The pit bull's owners could face criminal charges in the case, or their dogs could be put down. The owners declined to comment on this story. 

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