6-year-old boy mauled to death by family dog: 'He will continue to live on playing baseball in Heaven'
A 6-year-old boy was mauled to death on Tuesday by the family dog at the child's home in North Port, Florida.
Around 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, police responded to reports of a dog attack on a small child. The family's dog attacked the child inside the home. Neighbors rushed to the home to help the 6-year-old Daylan Guillen before police arrived.
"It was inside the home. The dog was in a bedroom, the child walked into the bedroom to get something. Next thing you know, people heard screaming and jumped into action," said Josh Taylor, public information officer of the North Port Police Department.
The boy was flown to Sarasota Memorial Hospital with extensive traumatic injuries to the upper torso area. Once the child was stabilized, he was flown to Tampa General for additional medical procedures. However, the boy died at Tampa General Hospital from injuries sustained from the dog attack.
The dog, said to be a 3-year-old pit bull mix, was removed from the home and taken by Sarasota County Animal Services, according to the North Port Police Department. The pit bull mix will be quarantined for 10 days then euthanized as per the request of the owners, Sarasota County Sheriff's Office officials said.
The police said they were not aware of any previous incidents with the killer dog.
"From every bit of information we have so far, there’s no history of the dog acting out, which would indicate that something could possibly happen," Taylor said. "The animal lived in the home from basically a puppy, a couple of weeks old, between 2 and 8 weeks, if I’m not mistaken, and you know, was a family pet."
North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison said, "Our hearts are broken for this young child and his family. As a father and pet owner, I know this is one of the worst tragedies you can imagine. We ask that everyone take a few moments to pay respect and reflect on those you care for in your life. Our time here is precious."
Police said no charges had been filed.
Daylan Guillen was an avid baseball fan.
The North Port Little League organization said, "Daylan loved baseball! And he would be at the field with a smile on his face and ready to go. Daylan had no fear with playing with the older kids. He wanted to become a pitcher. He loved the Juniors team and those boys loved him."
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to assist the family with medical and funeral costs.
The crowdfunding listing read: "He was such an amazing son and an even better brother. He had a huge love for dinosaurs. He loved to help out with anything."
The campaign said, "He will continue to live on playing baseball in Heaven. He wanted to be a pitcher so he will be up there throwing strikes!"
Daylan's kidneys were reportedly donated to "two other little kids in need."
Between 2005 and 2020, there were 568 Americans killed by dogs, according to DogsBite.org – a national dog bite victim's advocacy group. Of those fatalities by dog attacks, pit bulls were reportedly responsible for 67%.
Time magazine reported in 2014, "Pit bulls make up only 6% of the dog population, but they’re responsible for 68% of dog attacks and 52% of dog-related deaths since 1982, according to research compiled by Merritt Clifton – editor of Animals 24-7, an animal-news organization that focuses on humane work and animal-cruelty prevention."
Child dies after being mauled by dog in North Port www.youtube.com
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