Little Gabriel, an 8-year-old shih tzu, had a tough day on Monday.

 He had to get 16 stitches after being attacked by two pit bulls.

 “I hear this screeching noise, and I immediately come running outside, and they’re just all over him, like they were going to kill him,” said Gabriel’s owner, Candice Hokett.

 Gabriel was on his leash, tethered near the front door and enjoying the noon sunshine when the animals struck.

 “They had him around his neck,” Hokett said. “It was traumatizing and scary.”

 Hokett said a neighbor eventually came to the rescue and got the pit bulls off of Gabriel.

 “I had to kick and punch the dogs. It was a shame,” said Danny Edwards. “They were pretty much brutally attacking the little animal.”

 Edwards and Hokett both said the dogs came from a house two doors down, and they’ve had problems in the past with the dogs roaming the neighborhood.

 “We want them gone today, if possible,” Edwards said.

 Animal control showed up, and Hokett said she plans to file dangerous animal complaints against the owners.

 “They were not going to let go of my dog,” Hokett said.

 Gabriel was recovering on Monday evening at the Neel Veterinary Hospital in Oklahoma City.

 The ICU doctor there said he’s seen an increase in these kinds of attacks.

 “A lot more bite wounds than I’ve seen in the past, and I’ve always worked at very busy ICU hospitals,” said Dr. Wayne Sisk.

 Gabriel is expected to make a full recovery, but Hokett and her neighbors hope to get the dangerous dogs out of their neighborhood before they can attack any other animal or even a child.

 We were not able to get in touch with the owners of the pit bulls, but their landlord said the owners told him they would pay for all of Gabriel’s vet bills.

They will have to turn over the dogs to animal control who will hold them until a trial where a judge will decide if they truly are dangerous animals and what exactly will happen to them.