Mother, 2 children attacked by dogs

HOUSTON – Two children and their mother were viciously attacked by three dogs Wednesday afternoon as they walked near their Southwest Houston apartment complex on Westpark. 

Witnesses told KPRC 2 that the children and their mother were walking home from school when the dogs got away from their owner and attacked, unprovoked.

"The three dogs just let loose and they started running and started attacking both of the little ones," said Brenda Mejorado, who was across the street when the attack happened. She said she saw everything and ran to help.  

"I was helping hold the baby because the little girl had gushes of blood coming out of her head," Mejorado said. "Those kids are going to be traumatized for life."

The children's mother was bitten when she tried to protect her children.

"She couldn't do much," said Mejorado. "Three dogs, and she (was) by herself."

Three-year-old Josue Valasquez and his 4-year-old sister Victoria were taken to the hospital with deep lacerations on their heads.

Their father, Domingo Valasquez, said Victoria might need surgery, but both children are expected to be OK. His wife, Ingrid, should make a full recovery as well.

Houston police and animal control officers seized one of the dogs at the scene and the owner surrendered the other two on Thursday.

Animal control investigators said all three of the dogs are pit bulls. They will remain quarantined for 10 days.

After that, the owner can get them back, but if the dogs are declared dangerous, she will have to meet certain criteria in order to keep them, including maintaining a $100,000 liability insurance policy on each dog and being required to apply for a special permit. The dogs would also have to be kept in a secured enclosure.

The dogs' owner was given several citations at the scene.

She reportedly told investigators that the animals got out by mistake because she didn't secure her apartment door properly.

People who live and work nearby said they see her out running with the dogs all the time.

"I always see her with those three dogs, and she cannot control them," Mejorado said. "I see her trying to handle all three of them, and they're big dogs."

Domingo Valasquez said he has seen the dogs before, too.

"I see them a couple of times," he said. "They walk along and stuff like that. I don't know why she has three dogs; she cannot control them. They have to do something. This is not right."