What appeared to be an ordinary Tuesday morning in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood quickly became a terrifying ordeal when a woman was viciously attacked by an unleashed pit bull. The assault reportedly continued for between 10 and 15 minutes as pedestrians desperately tried to intervene, while the victim suffered severe injuries to multiple parts of her body.

But the attack itself was not the only part of the incident that shocked witnesses and the public. The dog also suddenly died at the scene after police officers arrived and used a catch pole to restrain the animal. The exact cause of the dog’s death remains unclear, while some witnesses have alleged that the animal may have died during rough handling by police.

According to a witness who spoke to CBS, the woman was walking through the Tenderloin on Tuesday morning when the dog suddenly jumped on her and began biting her. Passersby attempted to stop the attack, including by using pepper spray in an effort to force the animal away from the victim.

Despite those efforts, the attack continued for approximately 10 to 15 minutes. The incident occurred roughly a quarter of a mile from the neighborhood’s police station, according to the reports.

A video posted to the Citizen app showed the woman lying on the ground while the pit bull remained beside her, with the animal’s face covered in blood. Another video uploaded by Tenderloin Activities captured witnesses shouting conflicting instructions as police dealt with the dog. Some people could be heard yelling, “Shoot that dog!” while others shouted, “Don’t shoot that dog!”

The woman was left bleeding heavily from multiple limbs. Tenderloin Activities reported that she suffered serious injuries to her left hand and wrist, as well as her right hand and knee.

She was transported to San Francisco General Hospital, where she was placed on a ventilator. She remained in critical condition, according to the information provided in the reports. Her identity has not been publicly released.

When police arrived, officers used a catch pole to restrain the dog. The animal subsequently became unresponsive and was declared dead at the scene.

The San Francisco Police Department told the Daily Mail that the dog’s remains were taken by officers from San Francisco Animal Care and Control. The dog’s owner was not found at the scene.

“While the dog was being restrained, the dog became unresponsive and was declared deceased on scene,” the SFPD said in a statement to the Daily Mail.

The precise cause of death has not been established. ABC7 reported that some witnesses alleged the dog died because of rough handling by police while officers were attempting to restrain it. However, the available information does not establish that allegation as fact, and the incident remains under investigation.

Reports also indicate that the dog and its owner were frequently seen in the Tenderloin. It remains unclear whether the animal was always kept on a leash.

The attack has also drawn renewed attention to the problem of dangerous dogs in the neighborhood. Tenderloin Supervisor Bilal Mahmood addressed the incident on social media, saying that it was not an isolated event. He noted that he and others had regularly met and worked with families and neighbors in the Tenderloin who had experienced similar incidents involving dogs on the streets over the previous year.

Mahmood also pointed to earlier efforts involving the San Francisco Police Department’s Tenderloin Station. Earlier this year, officials worked with the station on a Paw Patrol pilot intended to increase enforcement and education in the neighborhood. He said they would work with SFPD again in the weeks ahead to identify similar measures aimed at increasing enforcement and keeping the community safe.

The incident comes as San Francisco’s Dangerous Dogs Unit continues to deal with a significant number of reported dog bites. The unit recently resumed its regularly scheduled hearings after a ten-month hiatus caused by a lack of funding. Those hearings are commonly referred to by locals as “dog court.”

The Dangerous Dogs Unit and its hearings were established in response to the Diane Whipple case, in which a woman was mauled to death by two Presa Canarios, according to Officer Greg Sutherland.

Sutherland told the Daily Mail that the Dangerous Dogs Unit had received 729 reports of dog bites since January. By comparison, the unit received 1,027 reports during the previous year. He also said that approximately 30 to 40 percent of the reported bites occur in the Tenderloin.

The neighborhood is home to a significant portion of San Francisco’s homeless population, and many homeless residents keep dogs for companionship and protection, according to Mission Local.

Before the Dangerous Dogs Unit’s hearings resumed in July, the unit reportedly faced a backlog of 66 cases, according to the SF Standard.

The latest attack has therefore raised concerns beyond the individual incident. A woman remains critically injured after being attacked on the street, while the dog involved died during the police response. Questions surrounding the circumstances of the animal’s death remain unanswered, and the authorities continue to investigate what happened.

For now, the victim’s condition remains critical, the dog’s exact cause of death is unclear, and the identity and whereabouts of its owner have not been publicly established. The incident has once again placed attention on dog attacks in the Tenderloin and on the ongoing efforts by San Francisco authorities to address dangerous animals and improve public safety in the neighborhood.