DELAND, Fla. – Two dogs that attacked and killed an 8-year-old boy near DeLand were euthanized on Thursday, according to Volusia County officials.
Michael Millett, 8, was attacked and killed on Jan. 13 when he was riding his bicycle around a subdivision with a friend and he stopped to pet one of the animals, according to Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood. The two dogs – described as a pit bull and a mixed breed – were then captured by Volusia County Animal Services officers.
Chitwood said Millett was “maliciously mauled, brutally mauled and killed.”
The sheriff added that the owner of the dogs was not on the property at the time of the attack.
“As we went door-to-door last night, we heard horrific stories of how the dogs are always at large, how they destroyed chickens and we’ve gotten some information from another county that it’s possible they were involved in some other type of an incident,” Chitwood said. “… Clearly, this just didn’t happen in a vacuum. These dogs have been terrorizing the neighborhood for a while.”
Deputies reported that the dogs escaped from their owner’s property and went into Millett’s neighborhood.
“With no prior reports of incidents involving the dogs on record, state law required a mandatory 10-business day quarantine period before euthanasia could proceed without authorization from the owner. During this time, the owner of the dogs had the opportunity to either relinquish ownership or file an appeal, but they did not,” county officials said in a statement.
Chitwood said his office plans to present a case to the state attorney’s office to charge the owner with manslaughter. Ultimately, it will be up to the state attorney if charges will be filed.
“Protecting residents remains a top priority, and this incident reinforces the importance of reporting potential threats to the appropriate authorities. The county remains fully committed to supporting the Volusia Sheriff’s Office’s ongoing investigation,” the statement read.
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