A toddler has been mauled to death by a pet dog in Australia, despite desperate attempts by his mother and grandmother to save him.
The mastiff cross attacked the two-year-old while he was at his grandmother's home in Deniliquin, New South Wales yesterday.
The incident occurred in the afternoon when the boy went outside to get an ice cream from the back fridge and the family pet followed him, The Australian newspaper reported.
It was not clear what sparked the attack.
The child's grandmother, aged 70, intervened but was unable to release the child. The child's mother arrived and fought the dog off, the paper said.
He and his grandmother were taken to Deniliquin Hospital by NSW Ambulance Paramedics but he died a short time later. The older woman has been treated for exhaustion, bruising and abrasions, the paper added.
The dog was seized by the Council rangers.
An Ambulance service spokeswoman said the boy suffered serious head and facial injuries and was transported to Deniliquin Hospital in a critical condition but died a short time later.
"They were really quite horrible head injuries that he received, including some serious scalp damage," she said.
