Tornado Survivor Killed: 5-Year-Old Attacked by Friend's Bull Mastiff
Tragedy once again struck a family still recovering in the wake of the deadly tornado that hit Moore, OK after a 5-year-old boy was attacked and killed by a family friend's dog.
The deadly attack happened on Sunday when the boy, along with his 2-year-old sister who had been sent to live with a family friend in Jessieville, AK, was set upon by a bull mastiff.
Local reports stated that the dog's owner, 50-year-old Lynn Geiling, was trying to get the unnamed boy to put on his shoes but instead the boy began acting out and that is when the dog attacked. It was thought that the boy's behavior was seen as an act of aggression by the dog and that is what may have triggered that attack.
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Garland County Deputy Scott Hinojosa speculated that the dog misinterpreted the boy's behavior.
"The child was putting on some shoes and was crying and upset. The dog possibly took that as being aggressive and at that time the child was attacked," Hinojosa told NBC.
"To me, it's heartbreaking … I've got a 5-year-old daughter. You can't imagine what this family and friends are going through right now," Hinojosa added.
The boy was rushed to Mercy Hospital in Hot Springs with severe lacerations to his neck and head, but was later pronounced dead. Police have yet release the boy's name and it is not clear if charges will be brought against the dog's owner.
The American Bullmastiff Association says the breed needs no special training to "react appropriately if his family is threatened."
"Never leave a child unattended with your Bullmastiff," the association warns on its website. "They are pack animals and will find their natural place in the pack if left to natural processes. That place may be at the top of the pecking order instead of below younger family members if left unchecked."
