DIGHTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Police have identified the 14-year-old Rehoboth boy who was mauled to death by at least one dog in Dighton on Thursday night.
Dighton police officers responding to a report of a deceased male at 2577 Maple Swamp Road about 8 p.m. spoke with a neighbor who found Ryan Hazel dead from multiple traumatic injuries, according to the Bristol District Attorney’s Office.
Hazel’s grandmother told police she dropped him off to tend to the animals earlier in the night and called his parents when he failed to return to her car in a timely manner, Bristol District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III said during a news conference on Friday.
His parents then called a neighbor, who responded to the home and found Hazel dead.
Quinn said the four dogs who were found in the backyard with Hazel were quarantined along with 11 dogs that were caged at the house.
The four dogs in the backyard were Dutch Shepherds and Belgian Malinois.
The owner of the property, Scott Dunmore, has been cooperating with investigators and foul play is not suspected.
In a statement Friday, Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School Superintendent Alexandre Magalhaes confirmed that Hazel was enrolled in the Community Health program at Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School.
A Crisis Response Team is being made available to students and employees.
“Any student who may need or want help or who is scared, confused or struggling to process this tragedy should know that that help is available,” Magalhaes said in a statement. “We are saddened by this loss in our school community, and as we come together, our leadership team will make every effort to provide assistance to our students, families and fellow employees as needed.”
Anyone seeking assistance is asked to contact Pupil Services Administrator Melanie Shaw at 508-823-5151 ext. 115.
The incident remains under investigation.
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