Rottweiler Bites Girl, Killing Toddler, Dog Euthanized Later

A 15-month-old girl died after she was bitten by a Rottweiler in Henderson, a city near Las Vegas, Nevada. The incident took place Saturday, local police said, adding that animal control and the fire department responded to the scene.

In a press release, a representative for Henderson Police said a 4-year-old Rottweiler injured the toddler. She was rushed to the Henderson Hospital where doctors declared her dead. Authorities did not reveal the girl's injuries.

According to police, the animal control officers took the dog and it was euthanized as "per the owner's request." The owner of the dog spoke to FOX5 channel and said that the victim was his granddaughter. The owner said he was heartbroken and in shock following the incident.

The family was at home when the dog attacked the girl but they are unaware of how the incident unfolded. The owner said his granddaughter has always been around large dogs, including the one that bit her.

“I mean it's a sad thing to know that your kid got mauled by an animal,” neighbor Michael Seed said. “It hurts not only that it took a life but the owners of that animal - it's kind of like their child too so I hate to see that something like that happens.”

“It's never really been aggressive,” Seed said about the Rottweiler. “I've never heard it bark. It's been there numerous times.”

The incident is still under investigation and no additional details are available. The identity of the victim will be released by the Clark County Coroner’s Office, local media reported.

In another incident, a two-year-old California boy was injured after being bitten in the face by his family's pet Rottweiler. The incident took place March 30 while the boy and his father were walking the dog outside the house. Authorities said the boy's father was also bitten in the arm while trying to separate the dog and the child.

In March, a 6-month-old boy died after being mauled by a dog at his babysitter's home in Salisbury, North Carolina. Authorities said the babysitter sat the child down in the living room while she went out to clean the backseat of her car when the dog attacked the baby.

"The babysitter heard her mother scream and ran back inside of the residence. There she found the child being attacked by her boxer/pit bull mix dog," according to a news release at the time. The child was taken to the Novant Health Rowan Medical Center and then airlifted to Winston-Salem. The child, identified as Jacari Long, died from the injuries, police said. The dog was taken by Rowan County Animal Control.