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Dog Owners Say Their Pooches Were Mauled By 2 Pit Bulls

HESPERIA (CBSLA.com) — Residents in Hesperia are outraged after they say two pit bulls mauled their small dogs.

Traumatized by the attack on her poodle-mix Maggie, Stephanie Preston told CBS2's Tom Wait that the confrontation occurred Sunday night as she and her friends took a walk in their Hesperia neighborhood.

She says the pit bulls either jumped over or got through the fence of a home down the block.

"She's my baby," an emotional Preston said Monday. "It's just a friendly walk we go on, and we have a nice neighborhood. Why?"

Maggie has since returned home from the veterinarian while Jenkins, a mix, remains in critical condition.

"He picked up my little dog Jenkins by the back. He picked him up and he was shaking him and biting him really hard. My dog was screaming," Jenkins' owner told Wait.

"I looked at my friends, too, and I was just ... they were taking care of their dog. They were taking care of me, and nobody knew which way to go," Preston recounted. "I just tried to grab her and blend in with that concrete fence."

The pit bulls eventually backed off.

Wait and his crew did not want to approach the home identified by neighbors as the residence housing the dogs. CBS2 was unable to contact the owner.

"I hate to say this but ... nobody could walk by there. I mean, I think they really should be put down. I hate to say that, and I love animals but ... " Preston said.

Police told the families the incident was a civil matter, but they were able to fill out a report with animal control.

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