An 18-month-old boy has died after being attacked and mauled by two family dogs at a home in central Florida on Monday morning.
Declin Moss was playing outside on the front porch when two of the family's four dogs, named Thumper and Max, attacked him for "unknown reasons," the Hernando County Sherriff's Office said. The child lived with his mother and grandfather, Gregory Moss, in a home in Brookville.
"It's sad. It's definitely something you don't want to deal with, especially with a young child like that, just 18 months," Michael Terry, a spokesman for the Hernando County Sheriff's Office, told the Tampa Bay Times.
Around 11 a.m. Monday, the toddler was being watched by his 51-year-old grandfather at home while his mother Shelia was out. Although Moss reportedly attempted to save his young grandson, he eventually failed to.
When police authorities responded to the scene after receiving a call about a child being bitten by a dog, they found the toddler dead from his injuries.
"Our technicians are out here interviewing the grandfather and trying to get the details from him, but he's obviously pretty shaken up," said Terry.
The family expressed shock at the two animals' uncharacteristic aggressiveness, with local police stating that they had not previously received any complaints regarding the dogs.
"Declin was a beautiful kid," neighbor Charles Shorey told CNN affiliate WFLA. "I feel sorry for the mother. She's, she's fighting and struggling."
The two animals have been described as a "mixed breed," but investigators are awaiting confirmation from a vet to determine their breed types. Neighbors described the dogs as pit bulls.
Following the tragic incident, the two dogs have been removed by Animal Control, but it remains unclear whether the dogs will be euthanized, authorities said.
Currently, the case is being investigated by deputies, with Terry stating that "it's too early to tell" if charges will be filed, UK MailOnline reported.
"It is a terrible, terrible event today. Obviously, even those of us who work with death and dying and serious injury, the firefighters on scene were heartbroken," Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis told WFLA.
