A Bakersfield family wants the law regarding dog attacks to change.

This after their dog is mauled and the family is forced to put their pet to sleep. 29 Eyewitness news reporter Bernadette Flores talked with the upset owners and city officials to find out what can be done to end this.

Currently in city limits, an animal can only be taken away by animal control and euthanized if there is a documented history of violence by the animal. But one family who lost their Pomeranian in a dog attack last night says one time should be all it takes.

Lori Venters says she was outside her home in the 1700 block of Cherry Street with her pet Pomeranian when her neighbor's pit bull came running towards her knocking her down and began mangling her dog. "He was up to here, I was eye to eye with him as he was jumping, I don't know how he didn't bite me, Rocky was in my arms," says Venters.

The attack happened Thursday afternoon. Rocky's pelvis was crushed and he had to be put to sleep. Her neighbor's voluntarily gave up the pit bull to animal control, something Venters doesn't understand.

"What if he mauled me or the kids that are around here all the time, all it takes is your dog, your child, your neighbor's dog again," says Venters.

Animal control says they would not have forcibly taken the pit bull because there was no documented history of violence or a serious injury to a person. "There's always talk of an ordinance against pit bulls by pet people involved, it would be something city council would do, and currently there aren't any," said Sgt. Grey Terry with the Bakersfield Police Department.

Police say the best thing you can do is report every instance of violence however minor to animal control. That way there is a record if the violence progresses.

Bakersfield police say the pit bull owners were cited for not having their dog on a leash. They can be held responsible in civil court for the Venters pet bills.