Northern Alberta community mourns 5-year-old killed by dogs

Northern Alberta community mourns 5-year-old killed by dogs

The death of a five–year–old boy in a northern Alberta community on Sunday has left the community and the province in mourning.

The child was fatally mauled by three dogs near his home on Whitefish Lake First Nation, 400 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. In a message the boy‘s mother said that her son was a happy child who touched many people‘s hearts. The child is not being named because he was receiving child intervention services from the province.

RCMP officers with the High Prairie detachment were called to the family home around 5:30 p.m. and found the boy dead outside, just steps from the family home. Two of the dogs, believed to be family pets, were killed by residents of the family home before officers arrived at the scene. The third animal was killed by RCMP officers shortly after.

Police are still investigating the death, and no charges have been laid. The bodies of the dogs were recovered from the scene and will be examined for signs of disease, including infections such as rabies and distemper.

A community in grieving

Chief Albert Thunder of Whitefish Lake First Nation, where the boy attended school, said his whole community is heartbroken and they are working hard to support the family.

He said the community held a prayer meeting to mourn the boy‘s death and the death of another community member who died last weekend, and that it‘s an incredibly difficult time, but that community members are holding each other up.

The community also has a locally organized and funded crisis response team that is helping the family get the necessary support.

Children‘s Services Minister Mickey Amery‘s spokesperson Chinenye Anokwuru released a statement saying that while they can‘t provide any information that could identify the child due to privacy law, they expressed their deepest condolences.

Anokwuru said that whenever a child in care dies or is seriously injured, it is publicly reported and a “rigorous examination“ of the circumstances is undertaken.

The death of the five–year–old boy is a heartbreaking tragedy, and the community of Whitefish Lake First Nation and the whole province are mourning his passing. The child‘s family is being supported by their community and government agencies as they grieve the loss of their son. It is a difficult time for all involved and hopefully the investigation will help provide some answers as to what led to this heartbreaking situation.