A 70-year-old woman was fatally attacked by the family's 7-year-old pit bull at their Albertson home Wednesday, police say.

Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder says police received a 911 call around 1 p.m. from a husband who said his wife was attacked by their dog on 10 Terrace Court. Ryder described the scene as horrific.

Ryder says the woman's arms, face and legs were mutilated. He says the husband actually witnessed part of the attack.

"When he got home, he walked into the backyard - at that time the dog was still eating on the body," Ryder says.

Ryder says the dog charged at an officer when police arrived. The officer fired at the dog, killing it.

The police commissioner says the pit bull belonged to the victim's stepson - who police say died a few weeks ago in a motorcycle crash.

Ryder says the officer who shot the dog was horrified from the experience - and is in the hospital.

Neighbors were upset by what happened to a family so close to them.

"It's very sad - especially since they just had a tragedy in their family," says Jaime Elqorchi.

Gia Savocchi, an animal behaviorst, tells News 12 that dog attacks are very rare.

"When we're looking though at a very powerful dog like a pit bull or a bully mix dog, when people are attacked, they're usually defenseless so often this does happen to young children or the elderly," Savocchi says.

She says when she first heard about the incident, her first thought was whether the pit bull had a prior history or if there had been a prior incident.

Police say they do not have a record of any domestic calls to the home or any calls about the dog.