TAMARAC, Fla. -- Police say a woman's 9-year-old daughter witness witnessed the fatal dog attack that left her mother dead.

Shawna Willey, 30, was killed Friday when she was attacked by her dog, a 120-pound Presa Canario.

Willey was trying to give the dog a bath when she was mauled. Her daughter, Tyra, saw the dog attacking her mother and ran next door to a neighbor's house for help. The neighbor called police, but by the time they arrived, Willey was already dead.

Broward County Medical Examiner Joshua Perper said that the dog tore Willey's jugular veins and damaged her trachea.

Police officers said the dog made aggressive movements toward them, so they were forced to shoot and kill it.

In 2001, two 100-pound-plus Presa Canarios fatally mauled a San Francisco woman outside her apartment.

The large breed originated in the Canary Islands where they were first bred to be used as property guard dogs. They are similar to pit bulls in jaw strength, but considerably larger. Pit bulls are illegal in Miami-Dade County, but not in Broward. Presa Canarios are legal in both counties.

Court records indicated that Willey was cited for keeping vicious dogs and several other pet-related charges when she lived in Tampa several years ago.

Willey leaves her 9-year-old daughter and her 14-year-old son, Trey.

Mary Johnson, Willey's mother, said, "She had the sweetest spirit and the most kind and loving nature ever, and that's how I want her to be remembered."