A two-year-old boy has died after being attacked by a pit bull at his family home in Zante, Greece.
The tragic incident unfolded after the toddler returned from shopping with his father and British mother. The child is believed to have briefly slipped out of his parents’ sight and entered a room where the dog was chained.
The pit bull attacked the boy, biting him on the face and head and causing fatal injuries.
The child was rushed to the General Hospital of Zakynthos, where he was given first aid, but he later died despite doctors’ efforts.
His parents were arrested and have since been charged with manslaughter.
An investigative source told The Sun: “An inquiry is underway.
“The toddler was in the home’s courtyard playing when he was attacked.
“It appears that while the pit bull was chained to the wall the boy got very close to him and the dog immediately pounced.”
Authorities were told the dog had been a stray found near the family’s home around two months earlier. The family had taken it in and were caring for it temporarily while searching for a foster parent to adopt it.
The tragedy comes after another fatal dog attack in the United States, where a grandfather and his three-month-old granddaughter were found dead after allegedly being mauled by a pack of pit bulls.
Police were forced to gun down seven dogs at a home in Tennessee after they attacked 50-year-old James Alexander Smith and the infant.
Officers arriving at the scene found Smith’s lifeless body inside the house, while the baby was still being attacked by the dogs. She died before officers were able to reach her.
Neighbour Rebecca Adams said the baby’s devastated mother was screaming “my baby” as police forced entry to the home.
She also claimed the pit bulls frequently broke loose from the yard and attacked other neighbourhood pets, leaving residents living in fear.
