A seven-year-old boy has tragically passed away after being mauled by a pack of dogs at his home in Idaho.
On 21 January, four dogs attacked a young boy named Kellan living on the Fort Hall Reservation in southeastern Idaho, according to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes on Facebook.
Fort Hall police officers were called out to a home after they received a report that a youngster had been hurt by the animals and was unconscious by the time they arrived.
The child’s mother, Emily Islas, was also severely injured and sustained numerous wounds trying to pull the dogs - which included two Rottweilers and two mixed-breed animals - off of her son.
Emergency responders transported the mother and son to the Portneuf Medical Center. Tragically, Kellan was later pronounced dead, according to a GoFundMe page organized by his mother's friend Samantha Lenay.
As reported by USA Today, authorities revealed that the owners of the dogs were not home at the time, and all four of them were later put down by authorities in compliance with the area's animal control ordinance.
In a press release by the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, they disclosed that cops were sent to the home at around 5:51 PM and that the mother and son lived in an RV on the property of another family's home - to whom the four dogs belonged.
Kellan had gone outside of the RV and after a few minutes, his mother found him "lying face down with the dogs mauling him," the Sho-Ban news reported, via People.
Emily was also "severely injured" after trying to fight off the dogs, and eventually "laid on top of her son to protect him," the outlet added.
In addition to putting the dogs down, the owners "were cited for 15 violations of the Tribes' Animal Ordinance including Vicious Animal Attack, Rabies Vaccination, and Over the Limit of Canine or Feline Pets".
Islas remains in the ICU with "sustained nerve damage and a ruptured artery in her right arm as well as damage to the back of her head, left arm, and her back," the fundraiser stated.
"She did everything in her power to protect Kellan from that attack. She is an amazing woman and mother and sacrificed herself to try and save her little boy," the organizer added.
"No mother should ever have to go through this. It absolutely breaks my heart that this tragedy has happened. I know this won't heal the hurt but at least it can help."
As shared by USA Today, Fort Hall Business Council Vice Chair Donna Thompson also released a statement that read: "We would like to ask the public to respect the privacy of the family at this time.
"(The council) would like to offer their sincere condolences to the family of the young man who lost his life in this tragic incident," she added.
The publication noted that the brutal incident will remain under investigation and the case was expected to be submitted to the United States Attorney for review.
Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Kellan and Emily Islas at this difficult time.
