A quiet afternoon on San Antonio’s Northwest Side turned brutal on April 9 when two dogs tore into a woman in her own yard, leaving her with serious bite wounds and weeks of recovery ahead, according to her family. Relatives say she has not been able to return to work and have launched a fundraiser to help cover mounting medical bills and lost income.
Investigation And Animal Details
Animal Care Services told KSAT the dogs involved were unsterilized male American Staffordshire terriers. The owner has already been hit with six criminal citations, and the animals are being held in quarantine while ACS continues its investigation.
The city’s bite policy, outlined in an City of San Antonio animal bites FAQ, calls for biting animals to be quarantined for 10 days for rabies observation. ACS officers can issue citations and pursue enforcement actions when a bite is reported.
Family Account
"At first they bit her hand and then they went on to biting the rest of her body, knocking her down," the woman’s niece, Melina Sada, told KSAT. Sada said the family is bracing for heavy medical expenses and is worried because her aunt cannot work while she recovers.
What The Law Allows
Under Texas law, a dog owner who with criminal negligence fails to secure a dog that then makes an unprovoked attack off the owner’s property that causes serious bodily injury can face criminal charges. The Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 822 spells out how prosecutors can seek seizure, registration and other remedies in such cases.
Certain serious attacks can also lead a court to order the seizure or destruction of the animal. Owners of dogs that are legally designated as dangerous can be required to comply with special registration rules and carry liability insurance.
Why This Matters Locally
The attack is the latest in a series of high-profile dog maulings that have prompted San Antonio officials and prosecutors to talk tougher enforcement. In April 2025, a San Antonio woman was sentenced to six years in prison after dogs she cared for mauled a man so badly that both of his legs had to be amputated, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The city’s City of San Antonio FY2024 adopted budget put more money and new positions into Animal Care Services in an effort to speed up responses to bite calls and tighten dangerous-dog enforcement.
How To Help And Report
Officials are still piecing together what happened in the Northwest Side attack. Anyone who saw the incident or has information is urged to contact Animal Care Services or call 311 to report the bite or any aggressive animal behavior so ACS can follow up.
In the meantime, the family’s fundraiser is helping cover immediate medical and household needs as investigators finish their work and prosecutors weigh possible charges against the dog owner.
