John Jefferson
Left: Michael Millett (GoFundMe). Right: Deputies in DeLand, Florida, try to corral two dogs who mauled Michael to death (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office).
A Florida family is coping with the tragic loss of an 8-year-old boy who was mauled to death by a pair of pit bulls he saw in the street and stopped to pet.
According to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, 8-year-old Michael Millett and his friend were riding bikes just before 5 p.m. Monday in the area of Arabesque Drive and Airport Road at the entrance of their subdivision in DeLand when they saw two dogs in the street. Michael got off his bike and went the pet them. At first, they were friendly, but then they suddenly attacked him.
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Deputies have released the harrowing 911 call.
“There’s a little boy being attacked by two dogs,” the woman caller said.
The dispatcher asked if the boy knew the dogs and the woman said no.
“And they’re literally tugging on him,” the desperate caller said. “Please hurry. He’s not moving … He was screaming for help, and they’ve pinned him down on the ground and they’re like biting him. But he’s not moving and he’s not responding.”
In another portion of the 911 call, Michael’s mother could be heard in the background screaming his name.
“I can tell you, in all my years of policing, to listen to that 911 call and hear Michael’s mother in the background when she dove on top of him to stop the attack, screaming, ‘somebody help me! He’s not breathing,’ it strikes to the core of who we are as human beings,” Chitwood told reporters at a press conference.
Chitwood described the incident as “horrific.” Michael was “maliciously mauled, brutally mauled and killed,” the sheriff said. He “never had a chance,” according to Chitwood. Now the investigation turns to the dog’s owner. Chitwood believes the owner should be criminally charged.
“We are going to do everything humanly possible to hold the owner of these dogs responsible,” he said. “And we’re going to do everything possible to make sure that these animals are destroyed.”
Angela Miedema, director of Volusia County Animal Services, said her agency took custody of the dogs. The owner must sign over permission for the agency to euthanize the dogs. If not, they have to take the owner to court to gain custody of the dogs, she said. According to Chitwood, neighbors told deputies “horrific” stories about how the canines in question were always loose and killed chickens. But no one had previously contacted police or animal services about them.
“Clearly, this didn’t just happen in a vacuum,” Chitwood said. “These dogs have been terrorizing this neighborhood for a while and no one decided to call us.”
Michael’s family has started a GoFundMe which has raised about $50,000 as of Wednesday morning.
“Our family is devastated with the loss of Michael,” the fundraiser reads. “He was incredibly smart, funny, caring, loving, and so adventurous. Michael’s contagious laugh and light will be missed tremendously.”
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