A 12-year-old boy from Colorado sustained serious injuries in a vicious attack by his pet pit bull which led to the death of his elderly grandmother.
Ty Gehring and his grandma Mary Gehring, 89, were both attacked by the boy's dog called Diablo, which is Spanish for devil, and another pit bull on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 14 in the city of Golden.
Diablo had lived with Ty since his parents' divorce more than seven years ago.
Ty went to a neighbour to seek help when two dogs attacked his grandmother in Golden and called for the emergency services. Officers tried to restrain the animals but did not succeed until back-up arrived, with both victims taken to hospital immediately.
Ms Gehring succumbed to her injuries four days after the attack, her family announced in a statement via Golden Police Department.
Ty's dad, who did not want to be identified, told Fox 31 that he could not get his head around the tragic events and described the dog as a "sweetheart", while also opening up about his son's and grandma's close relationship.
He said: "They grew up together that's why I have a hard time believing that he was any kind of aggressor. For the years that I have known that dog, he was a sweetheart.
"That was his best friend. Ty just got baptized from his grandma recently, and she has a very active role in his life. She was a very good influence. His grandma was one of the kindest people that you would ever meet in real life."
Golden Police Department Officers were dispatched following an initial report that Ty was bleeding and Mary was being attacked in backyard. The 12-year-old had sought help from a neighbour when emergency services were called.
Officers found blood in the house before locating Ms Gehring in the backyard with the two pit bulls attacking her, where they tried to place themselves between the victim and the animals. Despite verbally challenging the hounds and the use of Tasers, officers could not hold off the dogs until additional support arrived.
Once they rescued the victim, paramedics were on standby in her kitchen before she transported to St. Anthony's Hospital with critical injuries. Officers then helped Ty, who suffered puncture wounds and lacerations in the ordeal, who was taken to the same hospital before being airlifted to a children's hospital.
Ty has since been released from hospital, but the two dogs involved have been euthanised - one due to the injuries sustained during the attack and the other after the dog's owner's had surrendered their ownership.
