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A San Antonio woman is in the hospital in critical condition after being attacked by her own dog.
The incident happened on Wednesday in the 1400 block of Patricia Drive on the city’s North Side. A witness to the attack threw a pizza at the dog to try to divert its attention.
Police say the 31-year-old victim received five citations in relation to her dog after the attack, including one for the biting incident itself, two for failure to provide proof of rabies vaccination, and two for lack of required microchips. Authorities seized the dog.
Last year, San Antonio City Council adopted a new, tougher dog ordinance, which includes stiffer penalties for irresponsible dog owners and forced sterilizations for dogs picked up by city staff from Animal Care Services.
San Antonio will now assess a fine of at least $1,000 to dog owners who fail to prevent their pet from biting someone.
The city will also protect concerned neighbors who report dangerous dogs by allowing them to remain anonymous to avoid retaliation.
The family of an elderly man fatally mauled by dogs last year on the city's West Side filed a federal lawsuit Friday against the City of San Antonio and the city attorney.
San Antonio is ranked 11th in the nation when it comes to dog attacks on U.S. postal workers.
