EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I (WPRI) — A toddler has died after she was attacked by her grandparents’ dog Thursday afternoon, according to East Providence Police Chief William Nebus.
Nebus said officers responded to a home on Brookhaven Drive around 3 p.m. and found the 1-year-old girl suffering from significant injuries. She was rushed to Hasbro Children’s Hospital where she later died.
Two of the child’s adult family members were also hurt while trying to intervene, Nebus added, and were taken to Rhode Island Hospital.
The dog, a pit bull-type breed, had free rein of the fenced-in backyard, according to Nebus, and the grandparents had just brought the girl outside to eat lunch.
Nebus said the dog “suddenly went after the child” after she was placed on the ground.
“It’s hard because even a family dog, a family-friendly dog, can suddenly lash out for whatever reason,” he said.
Once officers found the dog, which was loose in the backyard, Nebus said it was put down.
“They scaled the roof, I heard two shots, then another two shots, and then they just cleared everybody out,” neighbor Heidi Dorazio recalled.
Nebus said they aren’t aware of any other violent incidents involving the dog. The incident remains under investigation at this time.
A GoFundMe page has been created to raise money to cover the child’s funeral expenses.
