CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Teresa Almazan said she was walking her dog when another dog came around the corner and attacked her beloved chihuahua Shakira.
The attack only stopped when Shakira was dead, she said.
Almazan said she was holding the leash during the attack, and was pulled to the ground.
"I was screaming 'Help, help, somebody help me,' " she said.
Following the attack, Almazan suffered deep cuts where the leash was wrapped around her hands.
She said it could have been way worse.
"The dog came towards me because I was on the ground and I thought he was going to bite my face, but he just looked at me turned around and left," she said.
Animal ordinances were one of the many discussions that place Tuesday during the Corpus Christi City Council's regularly-scheduled meeting.
Almazan told 3NEWS that they want more to be done to prevent tragedies like theirs.
"I cry everyday for her, because she was my little baby and there was nothing I could do to save her," she said.
She said nothing can replace her dog, but said something needs to be done to stop other pets and families from a similar experience.
The city voted Tuesday to approve funding for more spay-and-neuter services, which Corpus Christi Animal Care Services Director Joel Skidmore said has a direct correlation to aggressive and unwanted behaviors in roaming dogs.
Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo and other members agreed Tuesday that roaming, stray, and aggressive animals in the city are a big issue -- even comparing it to our street infrastructure.
While the motion did pass, from councilman Mike Pusley pushed back, calling for more owner responsibility.
"This is taxpayer money," he said. "A lot of taxpayer money to try and solve a problem that predominantly -- I think pet owners are not taking responsibility for their pets."
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