Two dogs that attacked and killed an 8-year-old boy in north DeLand earlier this month were put down and disposed of Thursday morning, Volusia County officials said.
The mixed breed dogs attacked the boy at the entrance of the subdivision where he lived at Arabesque Drive and Airport Road on Jan. 13. The boy was out riding his bicycle when he saw the dogs and went to pet them. The dogs were friendly at first but then brutally attacked the child, Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.
“This morning Volusia County Animal Services carried out the euthanasia of the two dogs responsible for the attack that took (the boy’s) life,” said Volusia County Director of Public Protection Dr. Randa Matusiak in a statement to the media.
Matusiak said her office is cooperating with the ongoing investigation into the boy’s death, which is being conducted by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
The owner of the dog, Amanda Franco, 31, has not been charged in the case.
Chitwood has publicly vowed that he will hold Franco responsible and told reporters he at least hopes she is charged with negligent homicide.
Chitwood said the boy was viciously attacked by the dogs and suffered 12 devastating bites that left the child with a broken neck.
According to Matusiak, since the dogs had no previous record of aggression, state law required a mandatory 10-business day quarantine period before euthanasia could proceed without the owner’s authorization.
Franco had the opportunity to either relinquish ownership or file an appeal, but she did neither, Matusiak said.
To improve public safety, Volusia County has also engaged with experts from Harvard University to further research canine hostility. Forensic evidence from the dogs and the attack will be sent to Harvard’s Canine Brain Research Group to advance the study of aggressive behaviors in dogs, benefiting animal behavioral research and public safety locally and beyond, Matusiak said.
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