'Dangerous' dog involved in second attack in 8 months in southwest Houston

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- For the second time in less than a year, the city is investigating a vicious attack involving the same dog.

The latest one happened on June 10 and left a woman and her neighbor's dog seriously injured.
[Ads /]
"It all happened so quickly," Mari Perez said. "The next thing I know, when I looked, he was on my face."

Perez was outside in her front yard with her neighbor's dog. Out of nowhere, a pitbull attacked. Her neighbor heard her screams. Workers fought off the dog. Animal Enforcement Officers with BARC Houston, the city's animal shelter, took it away.

"What if no one came to help?" asked ABC13.

"I would have been dead," Perez replied.



Perez suffered serious bites on her hand and foot and deep gashes on her arms. Fluffy, the neighbor's dog she was dog-sitting, is still hospitalized.

According to BARC Houston, the same dog killed another dog eight months ago. Its owner told ABC13 the dog knocked him down and ripped his little dog from his arms during the attack.
[Ads /]
SEE ALSO: Mom and 5-year-old child injured in dog attack at Eisenhower Park in NE Harris Co., sheriff says

Since it happened once before, Perez fears the dog will be released again to its owner.

"I just want the safety for the neighborhood, "she said.

BARC says the dog's death last September did not warrant a dangerous dog investigation because the dog did not make an unprovoked attack on a person, a spokesperson said. Now, an investigation has been launched.



The spokesperson said the dog's owner told them he would sign over his rights because he did not want to deal with the liability anymore. Alex Cuellar told ABC13 the same thing and added, "He is not a vicious dog. I don't know what happened. Of course, I feel bad."

BARC has been pushing for tougher dangerous dog laws.
[Ads /]
Once again, Houston leads the nation this year in dog attacks on postal carriers, according to a study by the U.S. Postal Service.

For more on this story, follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

SEE MORE: Spring woman needed emergency surgery after neighbor's dog attack her in her driveway

WATCH: 'Human safety issue': Maple West residents feel terrorized by stray dogs as attack reports rise