Owner of Pit Bull Hospitalized After Being Mauled by Pet

A Westminster woman was in serious condition after she was mauled by a pit bull she had reared since it was a puppy, authorities said Friday.

Diana Blackmore, 53, was found bleeding and unconscious by her husband at their home after the attack Wednesday, said Susan Jenulis, senior animal control officer at the Westminster Police Department.

The 5-year-old dog, Sam, was euthanized by animal control officers Thursday, Jenulis said.

Despite serious blood loss caused by the wounds to her legs and arms, Blackmore called her husband at work who alerted paramedics.

The husband reported that the dog began biting his wife when she tried to intervene between it and a younger male dog, Jenulis said.

The proximity of another dog can trigger extreme aggression, she said.

“They’re so enraged they want to kill the other dog,” Jenulis said. “If this had been a neutered animal, this may not have happened.”

The couple owns four American Staffordshire Terriers--a breed of pit bull show dogs.

“The extreme sadness of the situation is that these are caring people and they tried to avoid injuries to their dog,” Jenulis said.

Blackmore was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center in Orange where she was reported to be in stable condition, hospital spokeswoman Kim Pine said.