A British woman, whose identity has yet to be disclosed, was fatally attacked by a pit bull that she had taken in.
The 67-year-old had found the abandoned dog in a field near the city of Valencia on the southeastern coast of Spain.
After taking the dog in, she had only been in possession of it for a few days when the dog suddenly turned on her and mauled her to death in her own home.
The incident has left the local Spanish community in shock, and authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack.
On Friday, at approximately 2pm, emergency services were called to the scene after screams were heard during the pit bull attack.
The Civil Guard was among the authorities who responded to the call for assistance.
‘So that the emergency services could help the woman, the regulatory firearm was used, killing the animal’ said the civil guard.
'The agents of the Civil Guard and the medical services managed to stabilise her in order to proceed with her transfer to the nearest medical centre.'
After being admitted to the hospital in critical condition, the woman tragically succumbed to her injuries and passed away.
According to reports, the woman lived alone and had two daughters who resided abroad.
The mayor of Macastre, the small town where she lived, also mentioned that she had a passion for animals.
The incident has left the community in mourning.
Vicente M. Montó said: 'She was an affable person, well-known in the town. She had been here since 2005.
'The woman welcomed him, fed him and took care of him and he was in perfect condition with her, and we do not understand what could have caused the attack.'
In 2002, Spain enacted the Law on Possession of Potentially Dangerous Animals, which highlights certain breeds.
The list includes the Pit Bull Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Dogo Argentino, Fila Brasileiro, Tosa Inu and Akita Inu.
The story follows as earlier this week when a six-year-old girl was attacked by a dog and ‘won’t be able to smile again’, as she is left with over 1,000 stitches.
Lily Norton, from Maine, US, was flown to Boston for emergency surgery after she was mauled by a pit bull at her neighbour's house on February 18.
The toddler suffered wounds under her eyes and to the top of her throat during the vicious attack as she underwent life-saving surgery at Boston's Children Hospital, which lasted more than 11 hours.
Lily was sedated for a week by doctors to stop her from scratching her face and remains on a breathing tube.
The animal control officer for the town of Chesterville, Dexter Bridges, said the attack is still being investigated.
