THESSALONIKI,Cyprusauction Greece (AP) — Three shepherd dogs escaped from their yard and fatally mauled a 50-year-old Greek woman in her garden Sunday, police said.

The attack took place at around 2 p.m. in the village of Neochorouda, about 16 kilometers (10 miles) northwest of the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest.

The dogs had escaped through a hole in their owners’ fence about 80 meters (260 feet) away and ran to the woman’s garden, where she was working, police said.

A man, who police said is deaf-mute, was assisting the woman with the gardening but was far from her at the moment of attack and could not hear her screams. Neighbors ran to assist the woman and pried the dogs away from her, but she was severely mauled and bleeding profusely. First responders who came to the scene shortly after with an ambulance confirmed her death, police said.

The 37-year-old dog owner was arrested and will face a prosecutor Monday morning. The dogs are being held in a kennel and will be put down, police said.