Boy, 8, who stopped to pet two dogs 'maliciously' mauled to death after 'screaming for help'

Michael Millett was killed on Monday (13 January) after he stopped his bike ride to pet two dogs in Florida. Deputies from the Volusia Sheriff’s office and Volusia County Animal Services officers chased and captured the dogs, who were then confiscated and are being held in quarantine, the Volusia Sheriff’s office said.

Michael was out on a bike ride with a friend on Monday afternoon when they saw the two dogs. Michael went to pet them, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said at a press conference on Tuesday (14 January). “At that point, Michael is maliciously mauled, brutally mauled and killed at the scene,” he said.

One of the dogs, a pit bull, is 70 lbs. In a 911 call recording played at the press conference, a woman is heard frantically asking for help.

She said: “There’s a little boy being attacked by two dogs. And they're literally tugging on him. Please hurry.

“He was screaming for help and now they’ve pinned him down to the ground and now they’re like, biting him but he’s not moving and he’s not responding”. During the attack, Micahel’s mother “dove” in to help her child, pleading for help, Chitwood said.

She was not attacked by the dogs, who stood by as she screamed for help. During their investigation, authorities learned the dogs allegedly have a history of being a nuisance in the community, having killed chickens and often roaming large, Chitwood said.

It's unclear if there will be charges brought against the dog's owner. In a GoFundMe set up to assist his family with funeral, medical and additional expenses, Michael is being remembered for his “contagious: laugh and light."

It reads: “He was incredibly smart, funny, caring, loving, and so adventurous”. Chitwood urged anyone with information on the animals or their owner to reach out to law enforcement, or at 386-943-7866.