As a 1-year-old recovers after being mauled by a family dog in Hallandale Beach, the dog was euthanized on Saturday, officials said.
According to Hallandale Beach Police, the incident happened on Friday at a home in the 400 block of Southeast 9th Street.
Police officials said the child was being changed by their mother when the family dog attacked them.
The mother was able to pull the child away from the dog, police said.
Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed the child being taken by helicopter to another hospital.
NBC6 cameras on Saturday captured blood stains that remained in the area.
The father of the child told NBC6 that a good Samaritan drove the mother and child to Aventura Hospital. They were later airlifted to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.
The dog – and American Bully – never showed signs of aggression, the father said.
The dog was placed in the custody of Broward County Animal Care and Control, which said the family surrendered the pet, and it was humanely euthanized.
“Sometimes, it’s, you know, they perceive the action of a little one to be meant differently than what the child actually means when it’s reaching up towards mom, or screaming or anything like that,” said Philip Goen, with Animal Care and Control official.
Goen said children are often the target of an animal bite because of their interactions with pets.
“As adults, we know appropriate interactions with pets, and we know what to look for with pets when pets are feeling uncomfortable,” Goen said. “Obviously, little ones don’t know that. They’re just going off of what seems natural and dogs don’t know that differentiating either.
The child is expected to recover.