Woman guilty of manslaughter over pit bull attack

A US jury today found a woman guilty of involuntary manslaughter for allowing her pit bull terriers to run loose and kill an 82-year-old woman.

Deanna Large, 37, was also found guilty of two misdemeanours and faces up to 12 years in jail.

Large had 13 pit bulls living in her mobile home at one point, and the dogs intimidated the neighbourhood of Spotsylvania, Virginia, witnesses testified during the trial.

Animal control officers took two of her pit bulls away in August 2004 after they allegedly killed a kitten.

Dorothy Sullivan was attacked on March 8 by three pit bulls while she took her shih tzu Buttons for a walk outside her home.

The dog was also killed.