FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan. 31 (UPI) -- An 18-month old Fort Worth, Texas, boy was hospitalized after he crawled through a pet door into his back yard and was mauled by four dogs, officials said.
The mixed-breed Boxers bit and chewed the ears and face of the child, the Tarrant County, Texas, Sheriff's Department reported. They were among seven dogs in the fenced back yard of the home, owned by the boy's grandparents.
The child was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth. His name and condition were not released.
The dogs, owned by the grandfather, were quarantined at a nearby animal shelter, and be will euthanized, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said.
A neighbor phoned 911 to report the incident and the recording of the report clearly includes screams from the boy.
The child's parents were present and asleep in the home at the time of the attack, said Terry Grisham of the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office. The mother "got between the child and the dogs, saving him from further injury," Grisham said.
After police arrived, another neighbor confronted the child's grandmother about the dogs. The grandmother was arrested after grabbing the neighbor by the throat, police said.
