GRAPHIC: Mother fights off pit bulls attacking her and her 4-year-old daughter

NORTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KMOV/Gray News) - Police in Missouri are looking for the owners of one of two pit bulls that were caught on camera attacking a woman and her 4-year-old daughter.

The attack happened April 10 in unincorporated St. Louis County. Markeisha Eberhart says she went to pick up her trash cans around 3:30 p.m. but didn’t make it back to the door before the dogs attacked.

“I was out there fighting for my life,” Eberhart told KMOV.

Gruesome and graphic video shows the mother fighting off two pit bulls as her 4-year-old daughter watches after being attacked by the dogs herself.

“Trying to keep these dogs from biting my baby because they were biting her, too, but I more so let them bite me instead of her,” Eberhart said.

The attack left both mother and daughter with serious injuries. Eberhart spent seven days in the hospital recovering and was released Thursday.

“For her, right here on her hand, on her butt, the back of her leg, and she has scratches,” Eberhart said. “Me, on the other hand, I got stitches here. I have nine stitches in this foot. I have stitches in my arm. I have stitches on this part of my thigh, and this is the worst: my arm is still open.”

The mother says neither she nor her daughter has been able to sleep since the attack.

“Waking up out of my sleep because I’m being chased by some dogs,” Eberhart said.

Eberhart says dogs run up and down the streets near Chambers and West Florissant “all the time.” She wants something done to prevent anyone else from being attacked.

“Hold these owners accountable. Animal control told me the same thing. They were trying to find the owners, and I had to send them pictures of me and my daughter’s wounds so they could determine if the dog was deemed dangerous or not,” Eberhart said. “It’s just like they almost killed us. What do you mean?”

Animal Control and St. Louis County Police are still investigating.