A 63-year-old retiree credits her 13-year-old poodle with saving her from a vicious dog attack in Adelaide, though her courageous pet now faces a critical battle for survival.

Mandy Lumb recounts how her poodle, Dougal, suffered severe injuries while defending her from two Staffordshire Bull Terriers that invaded her yard on Saturday evening.

“It was the most horrifying ordeal of my life,” Lumb expressed.

“The experience was extremely traumatic, and it’s something I will never forget… those dogs were like a pair of velociraptors,” she added.

Lumb explained that she fell, leaving her helpless and in shock, while Dougal bravely stood guard over her.

The 13-year-old poodle’s condition remains precarious, with his life in the balance.

Lumb has owned her house since 2005  and was thinking of renovating, but now says her peace of mind here may never return.

She told 9News she saw the two dogs run down her neighbour’s driveway, but Rebecca Sullivan, who lives next door, denies it was her dogs.

Security video footage shows Sullivan’s staffies in her backyard approximately 30 minutes before the alleged attack. 

“We were only home for 25 minutes, the dogs did not get out in 25 minutes,” Sullivan said. 

It remains unclear which dogs were involved.

Tee Tree Gully Council says it is investigating the incident, and that it highlights the need for dogs to be kept under effective control at all times.