A woman suffered serious injuries Saturday morning, Dec. 15, when she was attacked by three dogs while out in her yard in the rural community of Anza in southwest Riverside County.

The dogs were pit bulls or pit bull mixes, said John Welsh, a spokesman for Riverside County Animal Services. They have been impounded.

The woman was flown to a hospital. Her age and condition were not immediately known, Welsh said.

One of the dogs seized by authorities Saturday after three pit bulls or pit bull mixes attacked a woman in Anza. (Photo courtesy Riverside County Department of Animal Services)

One of the dogs seized by authorities Saturday after three pit bulls or pit bull mixes attacked a woman in Anza. (Photo courtesy Riverside County Department of Animal Services)

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“Her injuries were described to the responding officer as severe,” Welsh said.

The woman, who is not the owner of the dogs, was attacked on her property on Mitchell Road about 10 a.m. while doing laundry, Animal Services Sgt. Lesley Huennekens said. There were no witnesses. Investigators are still trying to determine why the attack happened.

Animal Services has identified the dogs’ owner, Welsh said. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department is also investigating the attack.

Advocates of the breed say pit bulls are smart, loyal and good family pets, and that the media have sensationalized their attacks. Detractors say pit bulls are unpredictable, that their attacks cause more harm than those by other breeds and that their owners sometimes don’t train and care for them properly.