Multiple pit bull dogs attacked and killed a 75-year-old California woman last summer, and now the owners of the dogs are facing involuntary manslaughter charges, the San Diego County district attorney's office announced last week.

The woman was attacked last summer in her own yard. Following the severe dog bite injuries, the victim underwent several surgeries and had to have an arm and a leg amputated; she died on Christmas Eve.

The dogs were owned by the victim's neighbors, a 39-year-old woman and a 19-year-old woman. This was not the first time their dogs had attacked a neighbor, according to a news report.

Nonetheless, the owners, a mother and daughter, have pleaded not guilty to earlier felony charges of possessing dangerous animals that caused great bodily injury.

Involuntary manslaughter charges were filed after the victim died.

The dogs were destroyed by the county Department of Animal Services after the attack.

At least two children were attacked by pit bulls in California earlier this month, too.

A 4-year-old Oakland girl was bitten in the face by a pit bull in early January. The girl reportedly had walked up to a neighbor's front yard where the dog then bit down on her face, tearing through her cheek muscle and nostril.

She underwent reconstructive surgery and was expected to make a full recovery.

The dog was quarantined after the attack and he was likely going to be euthanized, according to a news report.

In mid-January, a 9-year-old boy and a woman were attacked by a pit bull in Sacramento. The boy was mauled, sustaining injuries to his head and arm, and taken to the hospital. The woman was in stable condition when police arrived.

Police on the scene reportedly shot and killed the dog, in fear that it may escape and become a danger to others.

Victims of dog bites have the right to pursue legal recourse through personal injury litigation. Personal injury compensation can mitigate medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering and other related expenses.

Source: LA Times, "Pitbull owners face manslaughter charges in fatal mauling," Tony Perry, Jan. 18, 2012

Source: Dublin Patch, "Pit Bull That Bit 4-Year-Old in Face to be Put Down," Patrick Creaven, Jan. 11, 2012

Source: ABC News 10, "Nine year old boy mauled by pit bull," Amy Jacobson Kurokawa, Jan. 14, 2012