PEABODY, Mass. -- A Peabody woman mauled by a pit bull in a bloody attack on Thursday said she feared the out-of-control animal was going to kill her.

NewsCenter 5’s Jorge Quiroga reported that Sarah Malave said she was forced into a desperate fight to save herself and her friend. Malave recounted the violent episode from her hospital bed Friday. Malave said she struggled to beat back the pit bull as it tore at her skin and dragged her across a living room.

Malave said that she had stopped by a friend’s house on Thursday with another woman and was interacting with the dog for several minutes before the attack began.

“I was playing with the dog,” said Malave. “He was licking me, kissing me, wagging his tail.”

Malave said that the dog then became agitated and began attacking her friend.

“He wouldn’t stop going after her,” said Malave. “I just remember going after him with a broomstick trying to unlock his jaw. I got her in the back room with me and he broke through the door and came at me and got me by my leg.”

After fighting off the dog for several minutes, Malave and her friend were rescued by police officers who charged into the home.

“I just remember an officer grabbing me by the back of my shirt out of the house,” said Malave. “I told him, ‘You need to go get the other girl.’”

Malave’s friend was trapped inside for several more minutes, until officers were able to break a back window and pull her from the home.

“I was just fighting for my life,” said Malave. “I wasn’t going to get grabbed by the throat and (torn) to pieces.”

Police said no criminal charges are likely in the incident, but an investigation will be launched to determine if the pit bull should be considered a dangerous animal. The dog will remain in a shelter until officials make a determination in the case.