A 55-year-old woman was killed in Montreal's east end on Wednesday in what police are calling a "dog attack."

Police discovered the woman's body in the backyard of her home in Pointe-aux-Trembles around 5 p.m. Alongside the body, there was a dog they said was behaving "very aggressively."

Police said they were forced to kill the dog before first responders could safely approach the victim.

She was declared dead at the scene.

Police believe the dog was a pit bull belonging to a neighbour, but have yet to locate the animal's owner.

No arrests have been made. Police, however, raised the possibility of charging the owner with negligence causing death.

An autopsy will be performed in the coming days to confirm the cause of death.