A young boy in Alabama was killed by a dog, despite his grandmother’s efforts to save him.
The 7-year-old boy was attacked by dogs “in the area of County Road 147” near the city of Calera, Ala., on Tuesday evening, July 22, according to the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office. WBRC, a Fox affiliate, identified the child as Noah Burnett.
Deputies arrived at the scene shortly after 6:10 p.m. local time and discovered that Burnett had “suffered serious injuries as a result of an attack by one or more aggressive dogs,” according to a press release.
According to Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon, Burnett’s grandmother was also bitten several times while attempting to save the 7-year-old, WBRC reported.
The child was transported for emergency medical care, but died as a result of the attack. “It is with great sadness that we report the child has succumbed to their injuries,” the sheriff’s office stated.
“Our hearts are broken for the child and family affected by this unimaginable loss,” Shearon stated in a press release. “We are fully committed to a thorough investigation to determine how this tragedy occurred and to help prevent anything like this from happening again.”
Burnett’s grandmother was also admitted to the hospital for treatment, but she is expected to recover, according to WBRC.
The CCSO’s initial announcement of the attack stated that “the dog or dogs involved” had “not yet been located or secured.” The sheriff’s office also stated that an investigation was underway “to determine the full circumstances of the attack, including whether the animals involved were stray or domesticated and under someone’s ownership.”
Shortly after, the sheriff’s office confirmed that nine dogs were involved in the incident and belonged to their owner, who surrendered them to Chilton County Animal Control.
“These animals were not stray dogs,” the sheriff’s office stated. “They belonged to a local resident and were kept on private property prior to the incident.”
All nine dogs “were humanely euthanized in accordance with standard safety protocols and were sent for testing as part of the investigation,” according to police.
The surrendered dogs were of various breeds, including shepherd mixes, pit bull-terrier mixes, lab mixes, a hound mix, and a pit bull-terrier-akita mix, according to police. Their ages ranged from six months to three years.
Burnett’s family declined to speak with WBRC after his death, but they did describe him as having “a big heart and an even bigger personality,” the outlet reported.
“To know” Burnett “was to love him,” according to a GoFundMe page set up to help cover the 7-year-old’s funeral expenses. “He had the largest heart and the most outgoing personality! He was the life of the party, and he was always dirty. He enjoyed being outside and playing in the dirt.
