A Napa woman said she feared for her life on Sunday evening while trying to protect her two small dogs from being attacked by four pit bulls.

“I thought my dogs were going to be eaten, and the pit bulls were going eat me to get to them,” Valerie Valentine told the Register on Monday afternoon. Valentine was bitten in the attack.

“The San Francisco dog mauling was going through my mind,” she said. In January 2001, San Francisco resident Diane Whipple, 33, was killed by two 120-pound Presa Canario dogs belonging to her neighbors in an apartment building in Pacific Heights.

Valentine said Sunday’s pit bull attack was the most terrifying thing that ever happened to her.

“I just knew I had to protect my dogs. They are my babies,” Valentine said, referring to Happy, a 9-pound rat terrier mix and Woody, a 6-pound toy poodle mix.

Valentine suffered bite wounds to her hands. She went to the hospital for a tetanus shot, but said her wound did not require stitches.

Desiree Biale and Timothy Lotton, who live at separate residences on the same property in the 1600 block of East Avenue, both own two of the pit bulls.

Biale and Lotton both said they were concerned for the victims and took responsibility for their dogs’ actions.

Evening walk

Valentine, who lives on Third Street, east of Soscol Avenue, said was walking Happy and Woody on their leashes.

“We were coming back from our evening walk. My puppies were looking forward to their chicken dinner,” Valentine said.

“I just started to cross the railroad tracks when I saw the four pit bulls. They were really big. It was strange. They were not growling and at that point didn’t look that aggressive. It was like they were marching toward me — panting. It was crazy. I have never seen an animal act that way.”

When the dogs charged at her, Valentine was able to pick up Woody and hold him over her head.

“The pit bulls were jumping on me trying to get at him. That’s when my hands got bitten. They had me pinned against the fence,” she said. Woody made it through the attack, she said.

Meanwhile, Happy wasn’t as lucky.

“He broke away from me and I started yelling, ‘run Happy, run’, while I am also screaming for help,” Valentine said.

Happy made his dash to escape the pit bulls, but unfortunately, he ran into a driveway just as the homeowner was pulling in.

“He bumped her with the car. She skidded and rolled. She’s OK, but she had to spend the night at the hospital to the tune of $500,” Valentine said. “She’s got a real severe case of road rash.”

Valentine said she was almost hysterical yelling and screaming for help.

“My neighbor Brandon had just gotten home from Alston Park with his dog, Marlin, a lab pit mix,” she said. “Brandon ran over to help get the pit bulls away from me, and Marlin ran over to protect Brandon. The next thing I know is one of pit bulls is attacking Marlin. He had to go to the vet emergency hospital in Cordelia. He got six puncture wounds on his leg and is on morphine.”

At that point the pit bulls ran east on Third Street.

“Police were called,” Valentine said. “They were there within minutes and the pit bulls were caught. Someone brought Happy over to me.”

‘So sorry this happened’

Desiree Biale said she does not know how her two pit bulls got out.

“When I left they both were in the house. When I got home, my roommate told me the police had my dogs,” Biale said.

Biale said her dogs have never bitten anyone.

“My female dog got out last week and attacked a cat. The animal control officer gave me a warning, but I have never been cited because of the dogs,” she said.

“I am just so sorry this happened. My dogs never should have gotten out and anything that happened is my responsibility,” Biale said. “I want to take care of any medical expenses if my dogs were the ones that bit the lady and the other two dogs.”

Timothy Lotton said he believes his two pit bulls got out when a neighbor left his sliding glass door open.

“They escaped with the other two pit bulls who were outside,” Lotton said. “I really don’t know what happened. I haven’t talked to any of the victims.”

Lotton said his dogs have never bitten anyone.

“They are friendly,” he said. “They have never been aggressive to humans or animals. I really feel so bad about this. That poor woman who was trying to protect her dogs, it must have so frightening for her. I am going to do everything I can to make this right. I pride myself on trying to give pit bulls a good name. This is such a tragic thing that has happened.”

The four pit bulls were taken to the animal shelter, where they will be quarantined for 10 days to make sure they don’t have rabies.

A dangerous or vicious dog hearing will be held after the quarantine period is over. The committee that conducts the hearing could impose penalties, up to destruction of the dogs.