WFAA-TV

Kressie Warren clutched a photograph of her dead son.

WFAA-TV

Kressie Warren vows that dogs will no longer be a part of her household.

DALLAS — A new Texas law went into effect at midnight Friday that could put dog owners behind bars for up to 20 years if their pet fatally attacks someone.

Just hours before earlier, a six-year-old Dallas boy was mauled to death by his family's dog.

The mother of Scott Warren said the family had had the pit bull since Scott was a baby.

Kressie Warren said Friday's attack was the first time the dog had snapped at anyone.

But, she says, with a young daughter in the house, now her only child, it will be the last.

"It's going to be difficult from now on," said Warren said.

She weeps, regretful she ever got the pit bull that took her son, Scott's, life.

"I don't want to never see another pit bull, never. Because he took a precious life."

The mauling happened just before 7 p.m. Friday night.

"We were sitting there in the room and all of the sudden the dog just jumped at him, grabbed at him," Warren said.

Her daughter was in the room with them.

"She was at the back, I was grabbing his mouth trying to get him loose but he was slinging him everywhere."

By the time they got the dog off, it was too late.

Scott eventually died at Baylor Hospital.

Six years old, he'd just finished the first week of first grade.

"I'm not going to see that little boy go back to school, I'm not going to see him play sports, graduate or anything. All because of a stupid dog," Warren said.

Warren is fortunate the attack took place yesterday and the dog was in a contained area.

Otherwise, under a new state law that went into effect today, she could have faced up to 20 years in prison.

Patricia Hughes, Warren's neighbor says, while she doesn't like the idea of having pit bulls and other dangerous breeds at home, she thinks that punishment is too harsh.

"I really think that's too severe. People have committed worse crimes and haven't served that much," she said.

Warren says she's already been given a life sentence.

"Learn from a single parent struggling to raise two children and now I'm down to one. Get rid of the dogs," she said.

Police say right now, they're considering this an accidental death, so they're not pressing charges against the mother at this time.

They say that could change depending on the outcome of their investigation in conjunction with Child Protective Services.