A Buna family woke up to a gruesome sight on Sunday, April 19, 2009. The Colley family walked out to greet their one week old horse to find it had been mauled by the neighbors pit bulls.

The family says they were told the pit bulls would be seized, but that hasn't happened.

KBMT 12 News ABC/NBC Diane Dean has the story.

The Jasper County sheriff's office says their hands are tied and that they are bound by the law.

One of the neighbors we spoke to says her horses are all locked in stalls and she won't even let her 3-year-old grandchild come over until the pit bulls are gone.

Instead of spending the day playing with her new colt she named Rambo, Sabrina Colley had to bury him.

"I'm afraid I might wake up and find April dead" said Colley.

The prized mare gave birth to Rambo only a week before the pit bulls attacked him.

The pictures of the dead colt are too gruesome to show but it is obvious the colt suffered a horrible death.

"It was my little girls horse she misses him, she waited on him for a year" said Loretta Colley.

Deputy Sheriff Anthony Ross says when he arrived on the scene the dogs and their owner were no where to be found.

Later on that afternoon a neighbor brought over a one year old for Sabrina and the pit bulls were at it again.

"I as sheriff deputy can't just show up and shoot the dog. Have to make sure do right things by laws eye" said Deputy Ross.

If it attacks a person we can seize and have it euthanized if it's livestock we have to give them a chance to keep it secure.

The pit bull owners have to build a secure pen with a concrete floor and a roof.

"They need to be taken care of get a hold of a kid nest is my fear" added Colley.

"I don't think the dogs should be killed just taken somewhere they can't hurt another animal or people" said Sabrina.

Deputy Ross said if a pet, livestock or person is being attacked in their yard it is in their right to protect themselves.

"If you have pits and someone is being chased if someone shoots your dog their is nothing you can do about it" added Ross.

The owner of the pit bulls declined to make a comment to KBMT 12 News ABC/NBC.

Deputy Sheriff Anthony Ross said the dogs owner is sending two of the three pits with his father to New Braunfels and Deputy Ross told the Colley's while we were there he would stop by on his off time this weekend to see if the owners father does indeed pick up the pit bulls.