A two-year-old boy was tragically mauled to death by a pit bull on a popular Greek island, Zakynthos.
After coming home from a shopping trip with his parents, the toddler reportedly slipped away from their attention and wandered into the room where the dog was chained.
The pit bull managed to attack the child, biting him in the face and head, leaving him with fatal injuries.
He was taken to the General Hospital of Zakynthos, where, despite first aid and doctors’ efforts, he died.
His parents, including a British mother. were arrested and have now been charged with manslaughter.
Authorities were informed that the dog was a stray and was discovered next to their home around two months before the attack.
The family decided to take care of the dog until new owners were found.
The little boy celebrated his second birthday with his family ten days before the attack, Protothema reported.
Metro has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.
This attack comes days after a Tennessee grandfather and his three-month-old daughter were attacked by seven pitbulls in his home on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Coffee County District Attorney’s Office.
Both victims were found dead when police arrived, with some of the dogs still attacking the child.
To get them off of her, they had to kill the dogs.
Pit Bull facts
Pitbulls are known for being strong and athletic in nature.
Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, Pit Bull Terriers are banned in the UK, making it illegal to breed, sell, abandon or own them.
The breed originates in England and they were bred as fighting dogs, taking part in sports such as dog fighting.
Pit bulls are also banned in Denmark, Norway and Cyprus.
The breed is legal but with restrictions, including in France, Spain and Germany.
Pit bulls were involved in approximately 67% of dog bite claims in the United States in 2022, according to WorldMetrics.org.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.