Austin, TX -- (ReleaseWire) -- 05/08/2017 --An Austin woman watched helplessly as her family's Chihuahua was mauled by a neighbor's dog, only to then be attacked herself by the same dog.

Brenda Cortez dog was killed on the steps of her mother's house just feet from her own home…all while her young daughter looked on in fear. While Cortez was speaking to the dog's owner, she was viciously attacked from behind by the dog. The owner could not pull the dog off of Cortez because there was no collar or leash. The owner eventually put the dog in a head lock as Cortez's own mother, feeling helpless, had to watch as her daughter was being mauled by the same dog that killed the Chihuahua.

Cortez's mom treated her daughter's wounds until 1st Responders arrived. Cortez received 17 stitches, seven deep skin tears each pulling away patches of flesh. Since that time, Cortez's three children, ages 3, 5 and 7 remain inside their home. "Animal control didn't come out. After three days the victim reached out and we helped the victim activate 311 on a phone app", says Lenore Shefman, Cortez's lawyer, and principal of The Shefman Law Group and Cyclistlaw. 311 is a non-emergency directory used to report problems and request city services such as Animal Control. The app worked perfectly and Animal Control seized the dog within hours.

The dog is temporarily quarantined, but the hearing regarding the dog will not be heard for approximately a month. In addition, "the dog will be returned to its owner within 10 days", says Shefman.

Cortez and her family continue to live in fear and feel captive inside their home.

For more information regarding this story, please visit: http://keyetv.com/news/local/dog-attacks-woman-kills-chihuahua-in-southeast-austin

For more information about Attorney Lenore Shefman, please visit: http://www.shefmanlaw.net/ or http://www.cyclistlaw.com/