HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. -- Investigators are working Monday to locate the owner of two pit bulls that attacked an Englewood woman and charged at deputies who tried to help her. The dogs were shot to death Sunday morning.

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Woman Describes Attack

Douglas County authorities said Connie Simonds, 53 (pictured, left), was walking three dogs around 11:30 a.m. in a green belt/open space area in Highlands Ranch when she was attacked by two pit bulls.

"And they just ran straight to my dogs and pulled me down," said Simonds. "And so they were taking turns with the dogs and me."

A group of boys heard her screams, grabbed their hockey sticks and went to her rescue. They began hitting the pit bulls, trying to get them to stop attacking.

"When we hitting they didn't even feel it," said Nic Marabito. "It was scary."

"I kinda felt good (hitting them) with the hockey stick but then they just seemed to be invincible," said Conner Brodeur.

When deputies arrived in at the Dad Clark Trail, located behind the 3000 block of Clairton Drive, they found the dogs still biting the woman and her dogs. The pit bulls then turned toward them and started racing in their direction, deputies said.

The deputies shot the charging pit bulls, killing them instantly.

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Simonds was taken to Skyridge Medical Center with an injury to her nose and calf.

Deputies also found two other dead dogs about 1½ miles from the scene. Investigators are still trying to determine if they fell victim to the pit bulls.

Investigators said that animal control may have picked up one of the pit bulls on two different occasions in September and October of 2003, in the area of Clairton and Highlands Ranch Parkway. The owner of that dog was identified as a resident of Centennial, Colo. Detectives were working to positively determine if the dog in the 2003 incidents was the same dog in the weekend incident.

The three dogs injured in the Sunday attack were taken to the Pikes Peak Humane Society to be checked out by a veterinarian. They belong to two Highlands Ranch women, investigators said.

In Douglas County, it is a class two petty offense to allow a dog to run at large, off leash without being in direct control by the owner. It is a class two misdemeanor if the dog, while outside the owner's control off leash, bites or attacks a person, causing injury. However, there are no laws in Douglas County that forbid pit bulls.