Boy, 7, killed after being attacked by a pack of four dogs while mum sustains injuries

A seven-year-old boy was beaten to death by a pack of dogs, including two Rottweilers, seriously injuring his mother.

Kellan Islas and his mother Emily Islas, 39, were attacked by four dogs just before 6 p.m. Saturday outside the Wolfchild residence on Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho. They weren’t tribal.

Fort Hall police were dispatched to the Sandy Road residence after receiving a report that a young boy “had been attacked by several dogs and was unconscious”.

The dogs – two Rottweilers and two mixed breeds – were owned by neighbors Benjamin Dominick Wolfchild and Juliana Wolfchild, who were not home at the time of the attack, according to Sho-Ban News, a weekly newspaper of the Shoshone-Bannock tribes. They received a subpoena for not keeping rabies vaccines up to date.

Emily and her son live in a mobile home behind the Wolfchild residence, where she let Kellan play outside at 5.51pm. When he didn’t return a few minutes later, she found him lying face down on the porch of the Woldchild residence as the dogs attacked him, according to Sho-Ban News.

Kellan Islas and his mother Emily Islas, 39, were attacked by four dogs just before 6 p.m. Saturday outside the Wolfchild residence on Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho. They weren’t tribal

Emily and her son live in an RV behind the Wolfchild residence, where she let Kellan play outside around 5:50 p.m. When he did not return a few minutes later, she found him lying face down on the porch of the Woldchild residence while the dogs attacked him

Emily was left “severely injured” after trying to fight off the dogs but failed. She lay on top of her son to protect him, but by the time the attack ended, the child’s injuries had rendered him unconscious.

Both were taken to Portneuf Medical Center.

“I know Emily, and I know she did everything in her power to protect Kellan from that attack. She is an amazing wife and mother and sacrificed herself to try and save her baby boy,” wrote mother’s friend Samantha Lenay on GoFundMe.

“Emily was rushed for emergency surgery and is still in intensive care recovering from the damage the dogs did to her.”

The mother of two suffered nerve damage and [had] a ruptured artery in her right arm as well as damage to the back of her head, left arm and back,” Lenay wrote of the fundraiser, which raised nearly $11,000 of her $20,000 goal.

Emily’s daughter, Rory, was not home at the time of the attack.

Emily was left “severely injured” after trying to fight off the dogs but failed. She lay on top of her son to protect him, but by the time the attack ended, the child’s injuries had rendered him unconscious

The mother of two suffered nerve damage and [had] a ruptured artery in her right arm as well as damage to the back of her head, left arm and back,” her friend wrote on GoFundMe

The mother underwent surgery and remains “quite swollen,” Lenay said. She will need physical and occupational therapy due to nerve and tissue damage in her arms.

Bannock County Coroner Torey Danner called it a “tragic situation” and said his “heart goes out to her”.

“Losing a child is every parent’s worst nightmare. This situation is very difficult to understand and my thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult time,” he said, according to the Idaho State Journal.

Emily is still in intensive care and has had surgery and needs physical and occupational therapy

The mother of two also has a daughter who was not at home during the incident

According to Sho-Ban News, the Woldchilds have been issued 15 charges by the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Animal Ordinance, including vicious animal attacks and exceeding the pet limit. They also received a breach of rabies vaccination for their dogs.

All four dogs were euthanized by the Fort Hall Police Department.

The Fort Hall Police Department, FBI and Fish & Game are investigating the incident and the case is expected to be submitted to the US Attorney’s Office for review. The Woldchilds could face federal charges.