88-year-old woman mauled to death in her own backyard by six German Shepherds owned by neighbor

An elderly woman has reportedly been mauled to death in her own yard by her neighbor's German Shepherds.

88-year-old Bessie "Jill" Peterson was trying to clear out the drainage ditch in her back yard on February 26 after the area of Pall Mall, Tennessee, witnessed some heavy rains when she was attacked by the pack of six dogs.

The elderly woman's sister, Nina Brown, told WTVF-TV: "They dragged her down the yard and all of her clothes were off, her shoes, everything. They tore all of her hair out, the casket can't be open. It's like a nightmare. It's hard to believe."

85-year-old Brown then said that she tried to go and help her sister, who never saw the vicious pack of animals going after her, but had to quickly run into the home and call 911. She said: "Three of the dogs came after me. They started after me and I had to call 911."

The elderly woman's wounds from the attack were reportedly so severe that she had to be airlifted to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She died of her wounds a short time after that.

The devastated family member said that the animals should have never been loose like that. Brown also said that there have been multiple occasions where the authorities had been called regarding the dogs' aggressive behavior.

District Attorney Bryant Dunaway said that the owner of the dogs could now face criminal charges for the incident. He also said that criminally negligent homicide could be a possible charge against the owner.

He told WTVF: "This is a very sad situation. Once we gather the facts, we'll determine if there's a criminal liability or not." The six dogs were all euthanized after the violent attack.

Peterson's funeral service took place on March 2 at 1 pm at the Brown Funeral Chapel. She will be buried in the Maupin Cemetery. The elderly woman is survived by her two-stepchildren aside from several nieces and nephews.