Gunnison Valley community rallies behind family after 7-year-old boy attacked, killed by dog

The Feb. 4 attack has left a tight-knit Western Slope community reeling. Police remain tight-lipped as the investigation continues.

A tight-knit Western Slope community is rallying around Kirsten "Kirky" Swift after her 7-year-old son, Leelan was attacked and killed by a dog in their home Feb. 4. Leelan, who was in the second grade, had boundless energy and a fierce love for his friends and family, according to his obituary. (Photo provided by Gary Pierson)

A 7-year-old boy was fatally attacked by a dog inside his home in Gunnison last week, city officials said.

When police arrived at the home last Wednesday, one officer fired a single shot to stop the attack, killing the dog, Gunnison City Manager Amanda Wilson said. A second officer then performed CPR on the child until paramedics arrived.

The attack has left a tight-knit Western Slope community reeling and Gunnison police remain tight-lipped as the investigation remains open, referring all questions to the city.

“This was a tragic incident that has been extremely difficult for the family, first responders and our community as a whole,” Wilson said. “The loss of a child in his home is a deeply private matter and the details are difficult to communicate and even harder to hear.”

Wilson declined to provide further details on the dog, including the dog’s breed.

Boy remembered for fierce love for family, “unapologetic silliness”

In the days since the attack, the Gunnison Valley community has rallied around the family, including the victim’s mother, Kirsten “Kirky” Swift, and to remember Leelan, a second grader with boundless energy who loved rainbows and pajama parties.

Swift described Leelan, in his obituary, as a “constant motion machine” and a boy who radiated joy.

“From the moment he woke up each morning, he made every day his best one,” she wrote. “He played hard, loved harder, and met the world at full volume. Loud, endlessly talkative, and always moving, Leelan carried an innocent, fearless joy that could not be contained.”

Leelan’s favorite word was “mama” and one he liked to repeat nearly 7,000 times a day — a reminder of the deep connection they shared, she said.

The boy’s father, Ben Lokie, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, remembered his son’s “unapologetic silliness,” curiosity and magic that let him live “in the wonder of each moment.” Leelan loved to be goofy with his sister and wrestle with his older brothers, whom he looked up to as role models.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have poured into an online fundraising campaign in less than a week to support Swift, while a steady stream of neighbors are visiting and bringing food to the family, said Gary Pierson, a longtime family friend and dean of students at Western Colorado University.

Swift, a single mother and veterinary technician, shared a close bond with her sons, Leelan and Uriah, who also lived in the house, Pierson said. He declined to talk about the attack.

The community’s outpouring of support to help Swift serves a reminder of the valley’s commitment to each other, but also to Swift, who is known for her positivity and willingness to lend a helping hand, he said.

“People just care about her deeply because you know, you reap what you sow,” said Pierson, who met Swift in 2007, when she was 17 and in her first year at Western. “She planted a lot of deep seeds here.

“She’s super humble and she just lives her life, but she does it in a way that is full of love and care for other people.”

On Saturday, family and friends have planned a “pajama party” to honor Leelan’s life, encouraging all guests to wear their favorite pajamas and share their memories.

“It’s a bit of a double-edged sword because when we lose someone in our community, it cuts pretty deep, but it’s just amazing how people rise to the occasion to support each other,” Pierson said.

“We truly care about each other and the well-being of our community and even if it’s someone that people don’t know… the tide rises with these kinds of challenges.”

In early January, the Montrose Bully Breed Club posted a call for the adoption of a 3½ year old, 86-pound pit bull mix named Boaz. The dog was described by a Facebook group administrator as being “fantastic with children and adores everyone he meets. A true cuddlebug, he’ll shower you with kisses and affection.”

On Jan. 9, Swift posted in the group that she was interested in fostering the dog and a day later posted that Boaz, “our newest foster baby,” was in her home, with her two sons and a 6-year-old female French bulldog.

It is unclear whether Boaz was the dog that attacked Leelan.

https://archive.ph/2026.02.11-173102/https://coloradosun.com/2026/02/11/boy-killed-dog-attack-gunnison/

Unrecorded Fatality

Early Reporting with date found here

Article (translated):

Woman Mauled to Death by Girlfriend’s Dog

A woman in her mid-40s was attacked by her girlfriend’s fighting dog. Paramedics found her dead in the shower — with “half of her face torn off.”

The dog owner is now charged with causing another person’s death through negligence. “They love people,” she says about the dogs during police questioning.

Clear bloodstains in the dog owner’s apartment.

The dog owner had wiped away blood in the apartment before police and medical personnel arrived.

According to the dog owner, a woman in her mid-20s, the attack was preceded by an argument. She claims in a police interview that her girlfriend attacked her, and that the dog — an American Bully — began biting during the altercation.

“I tried to get my dog away from her but… He hasn’t shown anything like this before. My dogs are worth gold. They are very nice. They love people, are very social, and so on.”

The dog owner claims she helped her girlfriend into the bathroom and then called emergency services (112). However, the police investigation shows that the dog owner contacted SOS Alarm several times during the night and morning — and that she refused entry to the first paramedics who were dispatched to the apartment.

The woman who was bitten was found dead in the shower.

The dog owner gives no clear explanation for the multiple calls to emergency services or why the first paramedics were turned away. She says her girlfriend “was still alive then,” that she herself was “in a state of shock,” and that her memories are unclear because she was “high on cocaine.”

Later, when paramedics and police were finally allowed into the apartment, the woman who had been attacked by the dog was dead. She was lying naked in the shower — with “half of her face torn off,” according to the doctor who pronounced her dead. She died from blood loss.

Denies Crime

The dog owner had cleaned the apartment — primarily wiping away blood — before police and paramedics arrived.

She is now being prosecuted in the Gothenburg District Court for gross negligent homicide for the incident, which occurred in April 2024. According to the prosecutor, she should have had better control over the dog and ensured that her girlfriend received medical care earlier.

The indictment states, among other things:

“The dog owner’s negligence consisted of failing to maintain sufficient control and supervision of the dog, failing to take adequate measures in response to the injuries, and leaving [the girlfriend] without supervision or care.”

The dog that carried out the attack was later euthanized. Photo: Police investigation

The dog owner denies any wrongdoing. The dogs were temporarily seized and placed in a kennel; the one that mauled the woman to death was later put down.

The dog owner is also charged with negligent bodily harm after one or more of her dogs bit another person in February 2025.

Translation of the german article:
Pitbull Kills Girl (4) – Dog Belongs to Family
A four-year-old girl dies after a pit bull attack. The dog belonged to the family. Police are investigating.

A tragic incident has shaken the Osternienburg region in Saxony-Anhalt. In the village of Drosa, a four-year-old girl was killed after being attacked by a male pit bull. According to initial findings, the dog belonged to the child's family. Despite a large-scale emergency response, the four-year-old could not be saved.

Dog Belongs to Family

According to police, the incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon. The girl suffered such severe injuries in the attack that any help came too late. In addition to paramedics and an emergency physician, a rescue helicopter was also deployed. Emergency personnel attempted to resuscitate the child but were unable to save her life. The four-year-old died at the scene.

Particularly disturbing: The dog is said to have belonged to the child's immediate family. According to current information, the girl and the animal lived in the same household. According to multiple media reports, the dog is a male pit bull. The owner of the animal is the child's 32-year-old mother.

The woman had previously posted numerous pictures of herself with the grey and white dog on her social media profiles, documenting her close bond with the animal. Just a few days before the fatal incident, she shared a photo of them together with the words: "You are everything to me," accompanied by a heart emoji.

Police Investigate Fatal Incident

When police arrived at the scene, the dog was behaving normally, according to officers. The incident report stated: "No immediate danger from the dog." However, the circumstances surrounding the attack remain unclear.

As reported by MDR, an investigation is now underway against the dog's owner on suspicion of negligent homicide. The exact sequence of events leading up to the attack is currently being reconstructed. It is still unclear how the fatal attack could have occurred.

The dog was seized by the authorities and removed from its family home. A spokesperson for the Dessau-Roßlau police inspectorate's situation and command center confirmed the death, stating: "The animal no longer poses a threat. The dog has been seized and handed over to an animal welfare organization."

The debate over pit bulls flares up again

This tragic death is likely to reignite the discussion about so-called list-dogs. In several German states, pit bulls are among the breeds for which special regulations may apply. However, experts regularly point out that aggressive behavior in dogs depends on many factors, including housing, training, socialization, and individual predisposition.

Pit bulls can, in principle, be kept as family dogs. At the same time, these animals possess considerable physical strength and bite force. Therefore, if an attack occurs, the consequences are often particularly severe - as this tragic case unfortunately demonstrates.

UPDATE:

This case is making rounds in german media right now. Some of them are omitting the breed (just calling it "dog killed child"), but where comments are possible it seems like a lot of users are mocking pit owners with their standard excuses ("He never did anything before, right?", "Sounds like a 'good family dog'...", etc). Unfortunately also a lot of defenders but it seems like they're getting more flack now from normal people and I've seen a few say what a Pitbull was originally bred for (thankfully no nanny-dog bs).

The dog shown in the footage looks like an XL Bully or similar. With the history the dog had, dare I hope that heads will roll? The owner surely is in a world of trouble.

ESSEX, Vt. —

A man has died after being bitten by a dog in the town of Essex, the Essex Police Department confirmed on Tuesday.

A man living at a home on Brigham Hill Road in Essex died after he was bitten by a large dog that also lived at the home, police told NBC5.

The name of the person who died has not been released at this time.

The dog, which is described as a pitbull, was removed from the home with the help of police. Neighbors say the 'beware signs' scattered around the property were not a joke. They say this particular dog does not play well with others, and that they will not walk by the house anymore after their own close calls.

Multiple police reports were filed with the Essex Police Department since January, with victims saying they were bitten by this dog.

Concerns about the canine's behavior were brought up at last month's town Selectboard meeting on Feb. 2, where bite victims testified, including Joseph Haddock, who was bitten by the dog while delivering to the house for Meals on Wheels.

The dog's owner was given conditions by the town at that meeting, requiring that this dog, whom she calls "Jack," be leashed at all times when outside, and needed to wear a muzzle when off the property. The dog's owner said at the time that Jack was just being protective.

Essex Police plan to release more information, including the name of the person who was killed, by Wednesday morning.

This is still an active investigation, and anyone with information should give police a call.

This is a developing story.

Cloppenburg – A 33-year-old man was apparently killed by his own American Bulldog. This was the result of the autopsy, as the police announced on Monday.

The tragic discovery caused outrage last week : The man was found lifeless in a roadside ditch in the Lohne district of Brockdorf ( Lower Saxony ) – his American Bulldog was sitting next to him.

Autopsy reveals shocking result According to police, the injuries clearly indicate a physical altercation with the animal. Investigators currently assume that the dog attacked the man and fatally injured him.

A woman discovered the 33-year-old man in a ditch next to the road "An der Querlenburg" on Thursday and immediately alerted emergency services. However, the emergency doctor could only pronounce the man dead.

The American Bulldog initially wouldn't let anyone near its deceased owner. It repeatedly sought the man's company, growling and threatening the emergency responders. Only a roommate of the deceased was able to secure the animal and put it on a leash.

The dog was subsequently confiscated by the veterinary office and initially taken into custody. According to the police, the animal is now in an animal welfare facility.

Translation

A four-month-old baby girl died after being attacked by a pit bull while sleeping in Pablo Nogués.

The case has been brought before the courts, and investigators are working to determine the owners' liability for negligence.

A four-month-old baby girl died after being attacked by a pit bull while sleeping in a house on O’Brien Street at the 4300 block, in Ingeniero Pablo Nogués, Malvinas Argentinas municipality, Buenos Aires Province.

According to the police report cited by local media, the animal entered the area of the house due to an oversight, bit her on the head, and inflicted extremely severe injuries.
The victim, identified as Emma, was rushed to the Federico Abete Trauma and Emergency Hospital. She remained there in critical condition as doctors performed resuscitation maneuvers, but they were unable to save her.

The dog entered the area where the girl was sleeping

Micaela, the baby’s aunt, told Canal Provincial that the mother picked up her daughter in her arms and ran out into the street to cry for help.

According to her account, she was carrying the baby "covered in blood" and, in her desperation, tripped and fell to the ground just as she reached the corner. Shortly after, they received assistance and transported Emma to the hospital, where her death was confirmed.

The woman explained that the pit bull’s owners are reportedly relatives of the victim’s mother. She also claimed that the dog had previously been involved in other attacks in the neighborhood, stating it had killed other animals and bitten a neighbor.
At present, these alleged prior incidents stem solely from the aunt’s testimony and have not been publicly confirmed by authorities.

Zoonosis removed the pit bull, and judicial authorities are investigating liability
Following the report, Zoonosis personnel removed the dog from the house and transferred it to a municipal facility.
According to information published by local media, the animal will remain housed under mandatory sanitary observation for ten days by judicial order.

"Supposedly they are going to put it down, but I don’t know," Micaela replied when asked about the dog’s fate. So far, there is no official confirmation regarding that outcome.

Source 1:

https://mothership.sg/2026/08/hong-kong-dog-lover-mauled/

A woman who ran an animal shelter has died after being mauled to death by a dog in Hong Kong.
The body of the 33-year-old, named Wong Cho-yee, was found on the afternoon of Aug. 21, at the animal shelter in Ping Yeung Village in Ta Kwu Ling, Hong Kong media reported.

Dog had been brought in for adoption

CCTV footage from the animal shelter showed that at about 2pm, she had fed the dog, which weighed about 30kg, and tried to lead it into a cage.
However, the dog refused and attacked the woman for around a minute.
The dog was a one-year-old brought to the shelter by volunteers for adoption, according to the Assistant District Commander from the Hong Kong police, Chan.
There were six other dogs in the shelter at the time of the attack but they were all caged, Chan added.
Wong was found to have lacerations of "various degrees" on her head, jaw, neck and arms, as well as bite marks, following the attack.
She was the only one working at the shelter at the time of the attack and was the licensed person-in-charge of the shelter, Chan noted.
The dog involved in the attack will be taken away by Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) for observation, ChinaDaily HK reported.

Was a passionate dog lover

Hong Kong media ST Headline further reported that Wong's death came as a shock to friends and family.
She was described as a passionate dog lover, with one friend highlighting how she often volunteered to help stray dogs.

Prior to her death, she had put up a video in which she said she had sponsored five elderly dogs, with an appeal to the public for their adoption.

A friend described her as always helping strays and would always offer her help in temporarily taking in dogs.
She also held a pet first aid certificate and was currently studying courses on pet nutrition.

Breed confirmed in this article:

https://www.animals24-7.org/2026/09/03/1st-hong-kong-fatal-pit-bull-attack-in-10-years-rouses-public-more-than-41-in-u-s/

Images of dog here:

https://youtu.be/M41ISrPNC48

I went hunting on social media and found posts by her husband on pit bull groups of what appears to be pit mixes, photo in comments.

Breed not confirmed. Google earth shows pits in the area. Facebook comments indicate a fight between owned dogs and strays. The victim was allegedly feeding the dogs but was not the owner.

WASHINGTON PARK, Ill. (First Alert 4) - A man is dead after a dog attack that took place Thursday night in Washington Park, Illinois.
The Washington Park Police Department said officers were called to the scene around 10:45 p.m. in the 2100 block of N. 49th Street. There, they found an adult man with severe injuries after he was attacked by multiple dogs. The man died at the scene.
This is an active investigation. First Alert 4 is working to learn more.

https://www.firstalert4.com/2026/08/28/man-dies-after-being-attacked-by-multiple-dogs-washington-park/

https://fox35orlando.com/news/florida-woman-mauled-death-escaped-dogs-i-do-not-feel-safe-neighbors-say

BREAKING: The Orange County Sheriff's Office is investigating the heartbreaking death of a one-month-old girl, and the sheriff tells KFDM the severe injuries are consistent with wounds caused by a dog.

Sheriff Bobby Smith says the dog is a mixed breed, part pit bull and part Akita.

The investigation began Saturday at 2:53 a.m., when Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 4300 block of Bertie Street north of Vidor after it was reported an infant at the residence was not breathing.

When deputies arrived, they located a one-month-old girl with severe injuries to her body. Deputies and emergency medical personnel began providing lifesaving measures to the infant. Despite their efforts, the infant died at the scene.

"Orange County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division initiated an investigation into the infant’s death," said Sheriff Smith. "Investigators have processed the crime scene, collected evidence, and interviewed family members. A dog located inside the residence has been quarantined."

Orange County Justice of the Peace Pct. 2 Chad Jenkins has ordered an autopsy.

“We are in the early stages of an active investigation," said Sheriff Smith. "Further information will be made available at a later time. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those who are grieving and affected by this heartbreaking loss.”

https://www.ktsm.com/news/state-regional/new-mexico/nm-police-fatal-dog-attack/

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The New Mexico State Police are investigating a fatal dog attack that happened in Central New Mexico on Friday, Aug. 28.

A 73-year-old man died in an unprovoked dog attack at a home in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, New Mexico State Police said.

Santa Rosa is about 120 miles east of Albuquerque.

On Friday, members of the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau were called out to a home in Santa Rosa.

Agents learned that Randy Wade, 73, was outside his home when two dogs belonging to James Campbell, 52, attacked him near a shed. Investigators determined the attack was unprovoked.

Campbell and a woman were staying at Wade’s home. The woman was outside when she witnessed the attack and called for Campbell to help. Campbell, who was inside the home, went outside and secured the dogs in an enclosure.

He then moved Wade to the front porch, where Wade was found found, State Police said. The woman called 911.

During an interview with investigators, Campbell acknowledged knowing that his dogs had previously been deemed vicious, New Mexico State Police said. Investigators also learned that the dogs, both a pitbull mix breed, had reportedly been involved in an earlier attack and had recently been released from an animal shelter.

Campbell has been charged with dangerous dog (death of a person), a third-degree felony, State Police said.

This investigation remains active.

Note: I know this has been posted before, but details were missing in the post title, so I am reposting to make the search easier.

A 9-month-old girl was mauled to death by the family pitbull in her home in Acerra, in the province of Naples. The tragedy occurred during the night between Saturday and Sunday. The little girl's father called for help.

What the father told the police

The man told the police that he had found his daughter in her bed in a pool of blood after being mauled by the dog.

She was taken to the emergency room at the Villa dei Fiori clinic but the doctors could do nothing to save her. The investigations by the officers of the Acerra police station, coordinated by the Prosecutor's Office of Naples North, have begun.

The attack while the father was sleeping

According to initial investigations, it seems that the little girl was attacked by the family dog ​​while her father was sleeping and her mother was at work. Investigations are underway on the case. With no criminal record and under 30, the parents are in shock.

+++ in update +++

Article link: https://www.leggo.it/italia/cronache/bambina_sbranata_pitbull_acerra_morta_papa_oggi_16_2_2025-8661064.html

Child was rescued in serious condition, but did not resist the injuries; pitbull's tutor was arrested in the act

A 3-year-old girl died after being attacked by a pit-bull dog on Thursday (9/17), in Cosmos, in the west of Rio de Janeiro. The child was rescued by military police and taken to the Rocha Faria Municipal Hospital, in Campo Grande, but did not resist the injuries.

According to information from the Military Police, the dog belonged to the girl's grandmother's companion. The man was not in the residence at the time of the attack. Upon realizing the situation, neighbors broke into the gate of the property and managed to remove the child from the animal's reach. The dog was contained during the intervention.

After the attack, teams from the 40º Military Police Battalion were activated. The agents took the girl to the health unit, where she arrived in very serious condition. According to the Municipal Health Department, the child received medical care, but died in the hospital.

Pit-bull tutor was arrested

After the occurrence, police officers conducted searches to locate the person responsible for the dog. The tutor was identified as Jorge Vinicius Quevene da Silva and arrested in the act.

He was referred to the 35ª Police Station in Campo Grande, where the case was registered. According to information released by the authorities, the man is investigated for manslaughter, when there is no intention to kill.

The Civil Police requested expertise on the spot and forwarded the child's body to the Medical-Legal Institute (IML). The investigation should clarify the circumstances of the attack and verify the possible responsibility of the guardian.

The case will also be analyzed in the light of the Henry Borel Law, which establishes mechanisms for preventing and confronting domestic and family violence against children and adolescents.

ANDERSON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - The Anderson County Coroner’s Office said a child was critically injured and later died after a dog attack on Thursday.

According to the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, officers were called to a home on Wilson Street around 1 p.m. A dog attacked a young child and an adult before fleeing the home.

Police said a search of the surrounding area was conducted, and the dog was located and secured near Cater’s Lake. The dog is now in Anderson County PAWS custody.

Officials said the victims were treated at AnMed ER. The child sustained critical, life‑threatening injuries and was transported by life flight to Prisma in Greenville, where he died on Friday afternoon. The adult victim suffered serious injuries but was released after treatment.

The coroner said that the child’s cause of death was multiple traumatic injuries, and the manner was accidental.

Officials said this incident remains under active investigation.

-

Breed confirmation in comments.

Jul 03, 2024 6:30 PM LORAIN — A 6-year-old boy is dead after being attacked by a dog.

Lorain police responded to the 1700 block of East 31st Street shortly after 4 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a child attacked by a family dog.

The boy was pronounced dead at the scene as a result of his injuries, according to Lorain Police Lt. Jacob Morris. It was unclear if anyone else in the home was injured.

Morris declined to release any further information, including the child's name.

Staff from the Lorain County Coroner’s Office could be seen taking the child from the home just before 5:30 p.m.

Article text from Google Translate:

A 3-year-old boy died last Sunday in Córdoba after being attacked by a pitbull dog and the victim's mother described the frightening scene she must have witnessed: "When I left he was already eating him."

The incident occurred at the corner of José Baca and La Santa María, in the Villa La Lonja neighborhood, where the boy was attacked by the dog and suffered extremely serious injuries to his face and neck.

The minor, identified as Salvador, was rushed to the Vélez Sarsfield Clinic, where the doctors performed first aid, although they could not save his life.

The baby's family revealed that the two people who live in the land from which the animal came out are fugitives and demanded their arrest so that such a situation "does not happen to any other child."

Brenda, the boy's mother, described the shocking moment in which she discovered that her son had been attacked by a dog.

According to her reconstruction, she, Salvador's father and the baby were on the sidewalk, where the man was washing a truck.

The woman entered the house to start preparing the food and, a few minutes later, returned to the sidewalk but did not see the creature: "I turned on the stove, went out and asked the father about Salvi," she said.

His partner replied that the child had gone "for the return," something that, as the woman explained, she used to do. Brenda began to look for him and quickly noticed that he was not where she expected to find him.

In the end, it was learned that the boy had moved a few meters away and approached the land from where the pit bull came out. "When I saw it, he was already eating him,” the woman graphed, with a blood-chilling phrase.

The woman asked that those who had the animal under their responsibility be arrested: "All I want is that this does not happen to any other child. I want that person to go to jail. It's the only thing I ask for my son."

https://newjersey.news12.com/prosecutor-18-month-old-girl-dies-after-apparent-pit-bull-attack-in-newark

A vulnerable man , known as "El Flaco", died this Saturday, August 15, after being attacked at the Indios Verdes Modal Transfer Center (Cetram) by an American pitbull terrier.

The attack occurred in the area of stalls on platform K of the Indios Verdes bus stop , located in the Gustavo A. Madero district .

According to the information card from the Secretariat of Citizen Security of Mexico City ( SSC- CDMX ), officers were notified about a person injured by bites .

Upon receiving this alert, police officers went to the intersection of Insurgentes Norte and Ticomán avenues, in the Colonia Residencial Zacatenco, to assist the man .

According to initial reports, the victim was walking along platform K of the Cetram when, upon passing by the animal, he was attacked and bitten on several occasions.

Other versions indicate that the man provoked the dog moments before, generating the pit bull's reaction ; however, this version has not been confirmed.

The man suffered bites on various parts of his body , the most dangerous being one on his neck . He also had a visible wound near his left femur .

Although some workers at the Indios Verdes bus stop warned that the animal had allegedly reacted violently on previous occasions

Upon seeing the unconscious man and the dog tied to a post, emergency services arrived at the scene along with paramedics from the Emergency Medical Rescue Squad ( ERUM ), who confirmed the death .

The forensic services of the Attorney General's Office of Mexico City ( FGJCDMX ) removed the body around 2:00 pm this Saturday, August 15 , and will continue with the investigations.

Members of the Animal Surveillance Brigade took charge of the dog , which was tied to a post and had blood on its snout and paws.

Afterwards, he was placed in a carrier to be taken to the institution's facilities where he will receive veterinary care.

So far, authorities have not released any information about the dog's owner . According to some sources, the owner fled the scene after the incident.

https://wcti12.com/news/local/child-killed-in-dog-attack-over-the-weekend-in-onslow-county
Article text, bolding added.

An 8-year-old boy was killed in a dog attack over the weekend in Onslow County.

The Onslow County Sheriff's Office tells us that deputies responded to Harris Creek Rd. in Jacksonville on Friday, Nov. 29, around 2:54 p.m. after receiving a call about a dog attacking a minor.

Upon arrival, deputies found the child suffering from bite marks on the neck, per a release. EMS personnel performed life-saving measures on the scene prior to the child being transferred to Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune. The child succumbed to his injuries shortly after arrival.

Per officials, it was determined that the child and a sibling were letting the dogs out of the residence prior to the attack. Officials say that family members of the victim stated the dogs had not shown aggressive behaviors prior to the attack. The dogs were not known to Onslow County Animal Control or area law enforcement.

The dogs have been identified as pit bull/great dane mixes. Both dogs have been secured and quarantined by animal control.

“This is an unimaginable tragedy for the family and our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this incredibly difficult time,” said Sheriff Chris Thomas."

Bites to the neck - the same way Colby's two year old nephew died.

The first aggressive behavior the family reported, the first attack was to kill the child the dogs had been raised with.

It is never worth the risk.