A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded on Sunday in Covina, a city in Los Angeles County, California, where a 5-year-old girl lost her life after being attacked by two family dogs. Another person was also injured in the incident.
The attack happened just after noon, around 12:05 p.m., while the little girl was in her backyard spending time with her father. The family owned four dogs, but only two—a 10-year-old Rottweiler and a 6-year-old Rottweiler mix—were involved in the attack.
Emergency responders arrived within minutes, at 12:15 p.m., after someone called 911 to report the terrifying situation. The girl and another injured person were rushed to the hospital, but tragically, the girl didn’t survive her injuries.
According to Lt. Steve De Jong of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the young girl had known these dogs her entire life. “The dogs were family pets,” De Jong explained. “There had never been any issues with them before, and the family is devastated.”
The girl’s father is described as heartbroken, and authorities have confirmed there’s no sign of foul play. “It’s just a very, very tragic incident,” De Jong said. Officials also shared that the family is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Following the attack, all four dogs in the home were taken into custody by animal control officials and are now being held at the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center. While two of the dogs weren’t involved in the attack, animal control impounded them all as part of the investigation.
The sheriff’s department is working alongside Los Angeles County Animal Control to get to the bottom of what happened. Once the investigation wraps up, animal control will decide what happens next with the dogs.
It’s a devastating story for the family and the community, leaving many in shock. Authorities and animal control officials are taking this matter seriously to ensure a thorough investigation.
