The daughter and granddaughter of a 91-year-old woman who died following a 2023 dog attack are suing the city of Pharr.

Lorena Cundari and Michele Piszczor are seeking $100 million in damages from the city, according to the federal lawsuit filed on Jan. 3.

According to the lawsuit, Estela Manteca died on May 6, 2023. She was attacked by four dogs that belonged to her son on Jan. 10, 2023.

The lawsuit accuses the city of Pharr of playing a role in the “preventable tragedy” because the city’s public works department failed to mitigate the threat posed by the dogs.

The dogs, identified as Ringo, Billy Casper and Bonita, were previously identified as vicious animals by the city’s animal control department due to previous attacks reported to their department, the lawsuit stated.

Despite this, no effective action was taken to neutralize the threat these animals posed, the lawsuit stated.

"Despite repeated warnings, urgent pleas for assistance, and specific notice of the dangerous nature of the dogs… the city of Pharr exhibited a pattern of deliberate indifference, neglecting to take reasonable measures to mitigate the known and escalating threat,” the lawsuit stated. “Ultimately resulting in the tragic and avoidable injuries on January 10, 2023, and death of Estela Manteca on May 6, 2023.”

According to the lawsuit, the attack left Manteca in a coma, who had her legs amputated, leading to her death. 

After the attack, these dogs were found covered in Estela Manteca’s blood.

"Before passing, Estela endured unimaginable suffering,” the lawsuit stated. “Her arms, chewed to the bone, underwent extensive skin graft procedures that failed to heal adequately, and medical experts anticipated that they too might have required amputation had she survived.”

The lawsuit states that following Manteca’s death, Cundari and Piszczor suffered severe emotional trauma, including severe depression, anxiety, and significant psychological distress.

Lawyers for both women also filed a document that included graphic photos of Manteca’s injuries, and of the home with blood in the area where the attack happened. 

The lawsuit indicated that on Jan. 24, 2022, the city of Pharr issued a vicious dog declaration for all four dogs requiring that they be confined and be on a leash and muzzled.

“However, the city failed to follow up to ensure compliance with these requirements, allowing the danger to persist unchecked,” the lawsuit added. “Despite these numerous reports and urgent pleas for help, [the city of Pharr] failed to undertake any meaningful or timely intervention to investigate the situation or protect Estela Manteca, reflecting a lack of adequate supervision and training, as well as deliberate indifference to her safety and welfare that shocks the conscience.”

A hearing for the lawsuit was not set as of Wednesday.