Pitbull rips thumb off elderly woman

ATornillo woman is trying to have her thumb reattached after it wasbitten off by a pitbull.

Aneighbor tellsABC-7, the seventy-year-old grandmother is at University Medical Center undergoing surgery.

“WhenI got here the sheriff was already shooting the dog,” said neighbor Angelica Valenzeula.

When she arrived at her home shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday, she saw deputies around her home with guns drawn.

“Iwas very scared, very scared, they didn’t let meout of my truck.” Valenzuela says.

Deputies reported a seventy-year-old woman attacked by a pitbull.

Valenzuela tellsABC-7,it was her neighbor’s dog that bit the 70-year-old woman’s’s thumb off.

Valenzuela says a few of the kids were playing with the pitbulls newborn puppies when the dog became angry.

“She moved her hands to adjust her purse and the dog bit her out if instinct.” says Valenzuela.

Once 911 was called deputies arrived and killed the dog.

“The dog ran to my house and she hid here and this is where they killed her,” said Valenzuela.

Valenzuela tellsABC-7 there had never been an issue with the pitbull before.

“The dog was calm, it had never attacked anyone,” said Valenzuela.

She tellsABC-7 the owner of the dog was very emotional after the dog was killed.

“The owner of the dog cried for his dog because he’s had her since she was a kid,” said Valenzuela.

Valenzuela has been keeping in contact with the victim’s family and she tellsABC-7doctor’s are working on reattaching the woman,s thumb.