Family pit bull severely mauls woman in Pinole, California

A family pet

A Pinole woman was being treated for life-threatening injuries Sunday after she was attacked and mauled by the family's pet pit bull, investigators said.

The 40-year-old resident was attacked inside the home on Silverado Drive, in the Pinole Valley area shortly before 10 a.m. and bitten on her legs, arms and face. Pinole police were able to secure the animal in the back yard before Pinole Fire Department paramedics administered "advanced life support" treatment.

The woman's wounds were so severe that she had to be flown by helicopter to the trauma center at John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, said Steve Akre, the Pinole Fire battalion chief. He said there was a male resident inside the home at the time of the attack, but he was not injured.

"It's a tragedy for all involved," said Akre, who did not know what prompted the attack. "Our understanding is that the dog was a family pet that lived at the home with the victim."

The woman, whose name was not released, was being treated at John Muir on Sunday night for lacerations to her face, both arms and both legs, Akre said.

The dog was brought to Contra Costa County Animal Services.