Family devastated after five-year-old boy killed in dog attack

A family is in mourning after an unimaginable tragedy unfolded just hours before Christmas.

A shattered family has spent Christmas Day in grief after a five-year-old boy was mauled to death by a dog on the Gold Coast.

The boy was staying with his family at a Varsity Lakes property when he was set upon by the homeowner’s dog on Christmas Eve.

Despite the frantic efforts of his grandmother and a neighbour who jumped a backyard fence to help, the boy died on the operating table in hospital just hours before Christmas.

The property was quiet yesterday, with the homeowners away interstate for the holidays.

The boy and his family had been house-sitting.

Gold Coast City Council animal control officers seized two dogs from the property, including an English bull terrier-American bulldog cross believed to be responsible for the attack.

The dog remains in a council pound as investigations continue into the horrific tragedy.

Council animal control officers at the scene of a fatal dog attack at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The boy’s 41-year-old grandmother is recovering after being treated for shock and puncture wounds to her hands and arms from where she desperately tried to free him from the dog’s jaws.

It is understood the boy and his grandmother were together in the back yard when the dog, unprovoked, suddenly attacked.

He went into cardiac arrest before paramedics administered an emergency blood transfusion.

He was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital where doctors spent several hours operating on the boy in surgery but he could not be saved.

Residents on the quiet suburban street, which backs on to one of the city’s biggest off-leash dog parks, were horrified to learn of the tragedy.

Nearby residents did not wish to be identified when approached by The Sunday Mail, but said they felt terrible for those involved.

The tragedy occurred just a week before new dog laws come into effect in Queensland.

From January 1, any dog declared to be “dangerous or menacing” must wear a distinctive red and yellow collar while signs must be displayed outside its home declaring that a regulated dog lives on the property.

The dog involved in Friday’s tragedy is now at the centre of investigations by the council and the coroner’s office.

A dog is seized by Gold Coast City Council officers after a horrific attack at Varsity Lakes. Picture: Nigel Hallett

In a statement, a council spokesperson would not comment on the history of the dog and whether it had been the subject of any previous incidents or complaints.

“The city’s animal management team are aware of the alleged attack and are presently investigating,” the statement said.

Sarah Keevers recounts horror dog attack story at Salacia Waters at Paradise Point