CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A vicious dog attack has concerned neighbors off of Colorado Drive near Los Encinos Elementary School.
On Tuesday morning, Melyssa Rios's daughter was getting ready to walk to school when she saw two dogs attack another, across the street. She started recording to hand over the footage to the Corpus Christi Animal Care Services. While she was recording Rios pulled up.
"I saw it, and that's the neighborhood dog we know him, he's so sweet, so I immediately stopped the car, I got out and screamed 'hey!'" she said.
Melyssa said what's even more concerning is the fact that a park, recreation center and elementary school is nearby.
"Not only that, there's strays everywhere around here, I mean what's next? A child.. a child, an adult?" she said.
Although the video is graphic and heartbreaking, Vanessa Scarbrough, an Animal Cruelty Investigator with Corpus Christi Animal Care Services said, evidence like it is extremely helpful for investigations.
"That helps give us a visual on what happened exactly and being able to identify animals involved in the attack," she said.
In March of 2019, a city ordinance was passed that pertains to vicious dogs attack other animals.
"We have things pertaining to humans being injured but we had nothing pertained to animals being injured and that was becoming a reoccurring issue in the city," she said.
Since the attacking dogs are believed to be strays, Scarbrough said an owner can't be held accountable, so they set out traps in the neighborhood. Luckily, the victim is expected to recover and CCACS encouraged the owner to make sure it doesn't get out again.