SAN DIEGO -- Animal control officers are looking for the owner of two large dogs that viciously attacked a small Maltese and her owner on Fiesta Island Sunday afternoon, and then fled the scene.

At about 2:30 p.m., Renata took Micha to play at the off-leash dog beach on Fiesta Island. She scooped Micha up and held her over her head.

“I parked my car. I laid everything down on the sand, and next thing I know, I see two big dogs running towards our direction.”

The dogs were pit bull mixes, white with brown spots, Renata said.

“I’m holding her up and one of these big dogs, these dogs had to be 100 pounds, one of the big dogs pushes me down onto the ground,” Renata said. “It was my worst nightmare because I knew, at that point, they were just going to go for her.”

She says they bit her as she tried to save Micha.

“All over my hands, and I start screaming at the dogs to get off of her,” Renata, said. “Finally, some people came over and they pulled the dogs off of her.”

Micha was ripped open, barely alive.

Witnesses told Renata the two men who had the pit bulls put them in a white two-door commercial type-van and fled. Renata said the van had an Arizona license plate.

Witnesses got a partial plate of AC6099 or AG6099. San Diego County Animal Control ran the plate but did not get a hit. They are still searching for the dogs’ owner.

“I’d love for the public to help me right now, because I feel this incident should not have happened, and if something like this does happen, you shouldn’t leave the crime scene,” Renata said.

The Director of San Diego Animal Services said anyone with information should call 619-767-2740.