A grade six teacher is now battling for life after she was mauled for hours by a pack of pitbull dogs on Thursday.

The St Richards Primary School teacher was heard screaming for help "for hours" while she was being mauled by at least four dogs on Woodland Way, in Coopers Hill, St Andrew, neighbours and friends told The Gleaner.

They blasted the police, claiming a team did not show up until nearly four hours after the incident was reported.

The police have disputed this claim.

Police spokeswoman Deputy Superintendent Dahlia Garrick said based on her preliminary investigations that it did not take cops four hours to respond.

Garrick says an investigation is underway to establish, among other things, the time between when the police were notified of the attack and when a team arrived at Woodland Way.

“The call was placed to police control then dispatched to a team in the area. When they [the police team] got the call [from control] they were on another assignment”, Garrick explained.

“I am satisfied that this is not being treated lightly”, she insisted.

The family friend said when the attack ended, the sixth grade teacher had lost an ear and “had wounds so deep doctors could barely stitch them”.

“Her legs were torn apart and she is swollen, especially her head”, the family friend disclosed.

Its reported that she underwent surgery late yesterday and was expected to do another operation today. She remains in intensive care.

According to reports, the teacher, who moved to Coopers Hill shortly before the new school year began in September, was out for her regular evening walk when the incident happened.

The family friend said a neighbour reported hearing the cries for help for over an hour and thought something was wrong.

He reportedly went outside to find out what was happening when he saw the woman on the ground and four dogs mauling her.

“He said the more she moved is the more the dogs bite her so they told her to stay still and that’s when they stopped biting her and start licking the blood”, the friend told The Gleaner.

It’s reported that he ran to the Red Hills Police Station to get help, but the cops did not show up until nearly four hours later.

“When they got there the dogs were still mauling the woman. The dogs tried to attack the police and one of the policeman fired a shot in the air and the dogs ran”, the family friend claimed.

Garrick confirmed that when the police team arrived the woman was still being mauled by the dogs and had to be rescued by the cops.

We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169, email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.