HOUSTON -- Wild dogs have killed more than six pets in the Woodland Heights area, KPRC Local 2 reported Monday.

It's an image Julie Pieper just can't seem to shake -- her 25-pound cat, Coco, being viciously attacked by wild dogs and killed in her front yard.

"It was the most horrifying experience I've ever had in my life," said Pieper. "When I came out, they were over her and she was dead."

Coco was supposed to be getting more exercise to drop some pounds, but she just could not defend herself against 80- to 90-pound dogs.

"What's more concerning is that my daughter walked across the street a few minutes before that," said Pieper.

The Woodland Heights Civic Association said more than half a dozen cats have been killed, along with a small dog. They've posted signs around the neighborhood, called Houston police and have hired a professional trapper.

"Once I find out where they live, I'll go in there with tranquilizers and traps," said Doug Worthy of Lonestar Animal Recovery.

Worthy said he'll get the dogs out of the neighborhood without hurting them and take them to an animal shelter.

"They're pretty dangerous," said Worthy. "They could end up hurting someone, especially a child."

Neighbor John Chao says the dogs must be stopped. He tried to keep them from killing his neighbor's cat on Sunday night, he couldn't.

"This one dog was half shepherd half Rottweiler," said Chao. "It had the cat in his jaw … kept yanking it around really hard."

It's an urban neighborhood, afraid of wild animals.

"It was scary, scary to know something like this happened," pet owner Norma Martinez said.

Worthy said pets should be kept inside at night, if possible, and if people are out after dark, they should carry something like a bat to protect themselves.

The pack of dogs are described as four to six brown and black mutts, weighing between 80 and 90 pounds.