Not a lot new, but the autopsy results did reveal that young Kyle did die from significant injuries sustained by dog bites. The boy had multiple bite wounds on his head, neck, chest, arms and legs.
A lot of other questions remain of course, and I'll continue to update this as I get more info.
Meanwhile, I also want to note that after some conversations I've had over the past 24 hours with someone who has a lot more knowledge of Northern Breeds than I do, I'm going to say that this dog may well be some type of Husky mix. While here in the "south", we usually think of Husky type dogs looking like the ones we see in show rings, "husky' is often a very generic term for a specific type of working dog -- many of which do resemble this dog. So I'm going to leave this as being two mixed breed dogs until more information becomes available.
Original Text:
I've been holding off writing this because I'm waiting for more information to come out -- but I've gotten enough questions about it I want to at least get something out there based on at least what we think we know about the situation.
According to the reports, a 5 year old Lincoln Park, MI boy, Kyle Holland, was found dead in his home around 9:30 on Monday morning.
The boy's mother put the boy to bed around 10:30 on Sunday night. When she eventually went to go check on the boy 11 hours later, she found him dead.
Two dogs were in the house at the time of the attack -- one was a 90 lbs Wolf-Hybrid-type dog (the owner says it is a "Husky/German Shepherd mix" - but the pictures do look like the dog is a wolf-hybrid) and the other a smaller, 35 lbs "lab mix".
The dogs were owned by the mother's boyfriend -- who is being held by police for drug possession when police on the scene found drugs in the boyfriend's car. After obtaining a warrant to search the home, additional drugs were found.
Neighbors have reported that the dogs were a often a problem as they were often allowed to run loose and neighbors report "sneaking" food and water to the dogs so they would be able to eat or drink.
An autopsy was scheduled for yesterday -- but no new reports have come out since the original stories. I'll certainly update this if more information becomes available.
My heart goes out for the boy's mother and the rest of their family as they deal with this preventable tragedy.
This is a tragic story. I can't imagine a mother's grief in the wake of this, or the child's fear and pain during the actual attack.
(Not to nitpick, but isn't it irresponsible to label the 90lb dog a wolf-hybrid with nothing but the neighbors' suspicion for proof? I know we, as pit owners, get all up in arms when the pit-bull label is cavalierly affixed to any aggressive or dangerous dog.)
Posted by: Sarah | July 14, 2010 at 11:39 AM
Sarah -- there is a picture of the two dogs at the link provided above -- I confess to not being an expert in the looks of Wolf-Hybrid type dogs...but the dog sure looks like one.
Posted by: Brent | July 14, 2010 at 11:43 AM
The little dog doesn't look much like a "Lab mix" either -- smallish prick-eared black dog with a medium-length coat.
It's interesting that the comments on the news sites (I know, it's insane to read them, makes you stupider just to do it) are all calling for the heads of the mother and boyfriend, many suspecting that they killed the child and used the dogs to cover it up. (They could be right.) I never see that if it is a "pit bull" implicated. Just the same idiots screaming to ban the breed.
Posted by: H Houlahan | July 14, 2010 at 12:10 PM
I'm just baffled how it's possible the child was killed w/o anyone noticing? And if what they saw was "significant trauma", why on earth do those dogs look so sparkly and not covered in oodles of blood?
And while I fully acknowledge that dogs who have recently attacked/killed one person may react fine with other people...I'm not overly impressed by two dogs who can be walked all docile-like on lead by a stranger.
My opinion is the dog looks like a mutt, not a wolf hybrid. The black dog is a mutt as well and should be labeled as such.
Lots of questions, hope to get answers in the coming months.
Posted by: Rinalia | July 14, 2010 at 12:39 PM
Hmm. Another story where the details are head scratchers. The kid was apparently mauled to death during the night and ended up outside his bedroom - makes me think that someone in the house possibly would have heard something. Then there was "confusion" over how many kids were in the house ("My babies are dead!) And while I'm not judging the parenting practices, the concept of giving a 5 year old a sugary drink and putting him to bed at 11pm seems odd to me. I hope a clearer picture emerges eventually.
I agree, the dog does like a possible wolf-hybrid.
Posted by: YesBiscuit! | July 14, 2010 at 12:54 PM
YB! -- I also think the timeline is weird... the kid is five, he's put to bed at 11pm and doesn't get checked on until 9:30am?!? I'm not a mom, but little kids I know are bounding out of bed at the wee hours, late bed time or not (that's 10 hours he went without anyone interacting with him). It sounds super-fishy, as in what else was going on in that house that the parents were that oblivious...? Sketchy.
Posted by: Liz | July 14, 2010 at 01:12 PM
Liz - My Mom taught me from an early age that little kids need to be checked on regularly during the night. In fact, she would always call me whenever I had a babysitting gig and ask me when I last checked on the kids and if it had been too long in her opinion, she'd make me go check on them again while she waited.
I'm not a parent either but honestly, I wouldn't let one of my dogs go for 10 hours asleep in the house without checking on them.
Posted by: YesBiscuit! | July 14, 2010 at 01:25 PM
odd indeed. I cant imagine there wouldn't have been all sorts of noise!! I mean I doubt the poor baby was quiet when he was getting mauled to death nor do I think the dogs would have been quiet! I wonder where mum was. whether she was actually THERE - and what the hell was in that chocolate milk? I know, suspicious minds. but I have four kids - first, not a fan of late nights but that is a preference insofar as kids' bedtimes, secondly, as one comment above points, what 5 year old SLEEPS IN?? and I say again, WHY no noise?
Posted by: selkie | July 14, 2010 at 05:31 PM
First off it is absurd that anyone would believe that baby didnt make noise. I know as a mother of a 3 and 5 year old that the second i hear springs squeak im right up with them, unless its to go potty. Second 9:30 am? Nooooo kid I know sleeps that late unless they are sick or dosed. To blame those dogs is insane. i believe that they need to do a full work up including dental impressions from the dogs. And yes someone should have the mother and boyfriends heads. because if you "couldnt hear" your baby screaming during something like that you dont deserve that child. May that baby rest in peace and my God watch those fur babies.
Posted by: Jenn G. | July 15, 2010 at 10:19 AM
That dog looks like a typical husky mix--easy to pass off as a wolf hybrid to people who have never taken a really good look at wolves. It's really not that easy to find a genuine wolf hybrid, but husky mixes being passed off as wolf hybrids are pretty common.
Posted by: Lis Carey | July 19, 2010 at 10:22 PM