NEW HAVEN -- A woman was mauled by a pair of dogs Monday night in the yard of a home on Ella Grasso Boulevard in New Haven.
According to New Haven Alderman Brian Wingate, who lives across the street, the dogs' owner was returning home with the woman when the attack happened.
"I've never seen anything like this," said Alderman Wingate.
Wingate said he was doing yard work when he heard screams. "My next-door neighbor started yelling, saying 'the dog is attacking a female across the street,'" said Wingate.
Neighbors ran over to help. "We were jumping over, throwing rocks at the pit bulls as the pit bulls were just basically eating her up," said Wingate.
Without help from neighbors, Wingate believes the dogs would have surely killed the woman. "The flesh he ate off her bones, it was, when I say horrific, it was horrific," said Wingate.
Wingate said the woman was given a 50/50 chance of survival Monday night and went into cardiac arrest twice on her way to the hospital.
"I talked to a police officer yesterday," said Wingate. "He said he's been on the force for 20 years and he's never seen anything like this."
The dog's owner was also injured. "When your own dog turns on you as well, that's a problem," said Wingate.
Wingate said Animal Control removed both of the dogs, and said as of last check on Tuesday, the woman remains in serious condition.
"My prayers go to her and her family, because if she makes it through this, it'll be nothing short of a miracle," said Wingate.
Editors note: A previous version of this story identified the dogs at pit bulls, but police later updated their report and said the dogs were American bulldog mixes.
