ALOHA, Ore. - A 72-year-old woman was attacked by a nine-month-old, 50-pound pit bull here on Friday, sending her to an area hospital.

Patricia Backstrand was taken to Providence St. Vincent hospital for treatment of severe bites to her hands and arms, authorities said.

According to the Washington County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the 2700 block of Southwest 216th Avenue in Aloha and found the elderly woman bleeding badly. She told deputies she was walking her small dog when a pit bull came out from behind a fence at a home at 2725 S.W. 216th Avenue, ran toward them and jumped and knocked the woman to the ground.

Backstrand covered her dog, a 5-year-old terrier named Trixie, with her hands and arms to protect it, and the pit bull bit her, the sheriff's office said.

Eventually neighbors and the son of the pit bull's owner pulled the attacking dog away from the woman.

Though the woman was hurt, her dog was not.

Deputies determined that the children of the dog's owner had accidentally let the pit bull, named J.J., out of the house, and it had escaped.

The owner of the pit bull, 41-year-old Leo Hammer, was cited for having a vicious dog at large and faces a $500 fine.