Imagine coming home and finding a pit bull loose in your house. Well, that nightmare came true for Pam McKee. When she came home Tuesday afternoon she walked into her kitchen area where a black pit bull lunged at her. She then ran outside, but not before seeing her German Shepard of the floor surrounded by blood.

She says the pit bulls got in through her doggy door and killed her dog. The dogs belong to a neighbor, Darnelle Darby, of Fort Walton Beach. Pam says once outside she called the police and animal control who took away the dogs.

Three pit bulls, two of which were involved in the attack, were taken to the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, but to the horror of Pam McKee, they could be coming right back.

Director of Animal Services Dee Thompson says the dog's future resides with the owner.

“If he follows the law and does the things that needed to be done, such as buying a muzzle, building a proper holding pen and paying more than $780 in fines, there isn't any law that could keep him from getting back his pit bulls.”

When Pam comes home she usually puts her 17-month-old granddaughter in the house first to play with her dog Harley. Tuesday she luckily left her in the car and says if the dogs come back, she will take steps necessary to protect her family.

She says if they get in her yard again she will kill them, and Florida law says she would have the right to do so.

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How to Avoid a Dog Attack

• Keep a safe distance between yourself and dogs being walked on leash.
  
• Ask owner's permission before approaching a dog, on leash or in yard.
  
• Never approach a barking, snarling, sleeping, eating, or nursing dog.
  
• Do not stare the dog in the eyes.
  
• Turn sideways and slowly withdraw.
  
• Put an object such as a tree, post, or bench between you and the dog.
  
• Speak softly and gently to calm the dog, "Good dog, it's OK, go home."
  
• Stand still or maintain a constant slow pace out of the dog's territory.
  
• If local law allows, use pepper spray when charged by the dog.
  
• If charged, get something between you and the dog's mouth: umbrella, pack, jacket, stick.
  
• If attacked, curl up in a ball and protect your face, neck, and head.
  
• Report unleashed aggressive dogs to the local police.

Tips:

• You can't outrun the dog, not even an Olympic sprinter could.
  
• Be aware of dogs a block or more ahead, change your route or turn around to avoid unleashed dogs.
  
• Know the weapons laws in the community you are walking in and obey them.

  www.walking.about.com contributed these tips.