British woman mauled to death in Spain by abandoned pit bull she took in

A British woman has died after being attacked by a pit bull she took in.

The 67-year-old had owned the abandoned dog for a few days after picking it up from a field near Valencia.

Authorities rushed to the scene at 2pm on Friday following reports that she had been mauled.

The Civil Guard said: "So that the emergency services could help the woman, the regulatory firearm was used, killing the animal.

"The agents of the Civil Guard and the medical services managed to stabilise her in order to proceed with her transfer to the nearest medical centre."

She was then admitted to hospital in critical condition, where she died from her injuries.

The woman reportedly lived alone and had two daughters who also lived abroad.

The mayor of Macastre, the small town where she lived, said she was an animal lover.

Vicente M. Montó said: “She was an affable person, well-known in the town. She had been here since 2005.

"The woman welcomed him, fed him and took care of him and he was in perfect condition with her, and we do not understand what could have caused the attack."

In 2002, Spain enacted the Law on Possession of Potentially Dangerous Animals, which outlines which breeds are dangerous.

The list includes the pit bull, Staffordshire bull terrier, American Staffordshire terrier, Rottweiler, dogo argentino, fila brasileiro, tosa inu and akita inu.