A 4-year-old Texas boy was fatally attacked by his family’s dog, authorities said.
The boy, Noah Trevino, was killed on Sunday afternoon, March 25, in Converse, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office announced.
Sheriff Javier Salazar told KSAT that the child may have wandered too close to the dog, which was tied up when the attack happened.
“It appears that the child may have gotten too close to the dog,” Salazar said. “One of the relatives of the child actually looked out into the backyard and saw that the dog had his mouth around the little boy’s neck and was shaking him.”
Sheriff’s Sgt. Elizabeth Gonzalez told the San Antonio Express-News that family members freed the boy from the dog’s hold.
Family members then tried administering first aid before emergency personnel arrived but were unsuccessful.
Noah was declared dead at the hospital.
The incident happened in the backyard of the boy’s home in the 8900 block of Twincreek Farm.
The breed of the dog was described by animal control as a “mixed large breed.” Twitter users responding to a picture of the dog shared by a reporter said that it appeared to be part pit bull. David Caltabiano, the reporter, said he could not be sure whether the dog was male or female.
“I was a Humane Officer & a licensed Vet Tech. It’s a Pit Bull, or enough of a one to count,” said one user.
But others said it wasn’t clear. “It says mix breed so yes it can be part pit bull but also mixed with something else it does not mean that it was the pit bull side of him,” said one user.
This type of news is hard to cover. BCSO says this family dog attacked and killed a 4-year-old boy in a Converse neighborhood today. pic.twitter.com/Sgq6mtfByd
— David Caltabiano (@DavidCaltabiano) March 25, 2018
BREAKING: @BexarCoSheriff confirm identity of 4 year old killed by this family dog as Noah Trevino. pic.twitter.com/TQ2eEQfQQ4
— David Caltabiano (@DavidCaltabiano) March 26, 2018
The dog was scheduled to be euthanized on Monday after tests were run.
Family members said the dog had never attacked anyone, reported News4.
But Sheriff Salazar warned that children should never be left alone with dogs even if the animals are not known to be vicious.
“This was a family dog,” Salazar said. “Even if the dog doesn’t show any outward signs of aggression, sometimes they can be unpredictable. So, it’s best to always be vigilant when you’re dealing with a small child and a dog like that.”
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