The incident occurred on the evening of Tuesday, July 22, in the area of County Road 147 near Calera, Alabama. The 7-year-old boy, identified as Noah Burnett, was attacked by one or more aggressive dogs, according to the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
Deputies arrived shortly after 6:10 p.m. local time to find that Burnett had sustained serious injuries from the attack. His grandmother, who was also bitten while trying to protect her grandson, was taken to the hospital but is expected to recover, WBRC reported.
Sadly, despite being rushed for emergency medical treatment, Burnett later died from his injuries. “It is with great sadness that we report the child has succumbed to their injuries,” the sheriff’s office shared in a press release. “Our hearts are broken for the child and the family affected by this unimaginable loss,” added Sheriff John Shearon. Authorities have committed to thoroughly investigating the incident to determine how the attack happened and to prevent a similar tragedy from occurring again.
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(gofundme)
Initially, the sheriff’s office was unsure about the status of the dogs involved, stating they had not been located or secured. However, they later confirmed that nine dogs were connected to the incident. These dogs, which were not strays, belonged to a local resident. The owner surrendered them to Chilton County Animal Control. The dogs were then humanely euthanized following safety protocols, and the animals were sent for testing as part of the investigation.
The dogs involved were of various breeds, including shepherd mixes, pit bull-terrier mixes, lab mixes, and a pit bull-terrier-akita mix. Their ages ranged from 6 months to 3 years old.
After the heartbreaking loss, Burnett’s family declined to speak publicly, but they shared how much the 7-year-old meant to them. A GoFundMe page set up for funeral expenses described him as someone with “a big heart and an even bigger personality.” The page went on to say, “To know Noah was to love him. He had the biggest heart and the most outgoing personality! He was the life of the party, and he was always dirty; he loved being outside and playing in the dirt.”