Colorado woman in critical condition after she is attacked by multiple dogs in Aurora

A woman in Aurora is in critical condition after a dog attack that involved three pit bulls outside her home. Her family told CBS Colorado it will leave her with permanent, life-altering injuries. The attack comes less than two years after residents of Aurora voted to repeal a citywide pit bull ban.

Aurora Police Department and the city's animal services responded around 11:40 a.m. Monday, March 30 to the 1500 block of North Lima Street for a reported animal attack. When officers arrived, they found 57-year-old Hilda Lorena Cifuentes suffering from multiple bite wounds. She was transported to the hospital, where she has since undergone multiple surgeries.

Cifuentes suffered extensive injuries to her face, arms, legs and abdomen, along with head trauma. It's possible that she may lose vision and her left leg.

Her daughter, Sandy Aparicio, says the attack happened during a routine morning while cleaning the yard. Aparicio said her mother had been moving items between her front yard and a shared parking area when three of her neighbor's dogs got loose. The neighbor had moved into the duplex roughly 10 days earlier, Aparicio said.

"We don't know if the door was left open or if it was an accident," Aparicio told CBS Colorado. "But the dogs came out to the parking space, and that's when they started attacking my mom."

Cifuentes was alone when the dogs attacked her.

"She started yelling, 'Help, help, help!' but no one was near her," Aparicio explained.

Brenda Chacon, who is homeless, was nearby when she heard the screams of Cifuentes, and she immediately tried to intervene.

"I tried to do whatever I can, but the dogs started coming at me too," Chacon told CBS Colorado. "I saw her suffer. That's what hurt."

Chacon says she yelled for help and tried to get others in the area to call 911. She ran to a nearby store where she flagged down assistance.

Eventually, neighbors and bystanders began throwing rocks at the dogs to stop the attack.

The family estimates the attack lasted between eight and 10 minutes. Chacon says the owner was present, but was unable to control the dogs.

"It was terrible, something traumatic. I've never seen anything like that," Chacon said.

The family says the three dogs involved in the attack have been euthanized.

"What if it was a child? Two or 3 years old?" Aparicio said.  "Her life is not going to be the same. How is she going to go back to work? Everything is going to change."

City officials say Aurora does not currently have a ban on pit bull-type breeds. A previous breed-specific ban was lifted in January 2025 after voters approved a ballot measure in 2024.

In a statement, the Stop Aurora Pit Bull Ban Team, a group that advocated for repealing the city's breed-specific ban, urged caution in drawing conclusions about the incident.

"We are wishing a full recovery to the woman involved," the group shared in a statement. "This is a heartbreaking situation for everyone, including the dogs. As we do not yet know the full circumstances, it's important to avoid assumptions. Situations like this reinforce the importance of responsible ownership, proper training and understanding each individual dog — regardless of breed."

Cifuentes' family is demanding answers and accountability.

"If you're the owner, you have to make sure your dogs are secured," Aparicio said. "Why were they free?"

The family is raising money online to help cover medical bills, rehabilitation and living expenses, as they prepare for what they describe as a long recovery.

CBS Colorado reached out to the owners of the three dogs that have since been put down and have not heard back.