Expand / Collapse search
☰

Mother of boy killed by dogs says she'll never forget the image of her son being mauled

By
Published  January 14, 2025 11:46pm EST
Volusia County
FOX 35 Orlando

Family heartbroken after mauling death of child

The mother of the boy attacked and killed by two dogs said she will never get the image of seeing her son being mauled out of her mind. On January 13, 8-year-old Michael Millett was riding his bike with a friend when he stopped to pet two dogs running loose in his Berry’s Ridge neighborhood.

The Brief

    • Eight-year-old Michael Millett was tragically killed by two loose dogs in his Volusia County neighborhood while riding his bike, leaving his family devastated.
    • Despite his mother's desperate efforts to intervene, the dogs fatally attacked Michael, and neighbors reported prior aggressive behavior from the same dogs, which are now quarantined.
    • The community, grieving alongside Michael's family, has launched a GoFundMe to assist with funeral costs and support during this difficult time, while authorities consider charges against the dogs' owner.

DELAND, Fla. - The mother of the boy attacked and killed by two dogs said she will never get the image of seeing her son being mauled out of her mind.

On January 13, 8-year-old Michael Millett was riding his bike with a friend when he stopped to pet two dogs running loose in his Berry’s Ridge neighborhood.

Family heartbroken after losing child in dog attack

What they're saying:

"My great nephew is gone. We can’t get him back," said Jackie Hart. "[He’s] just the kind of kid you want to give a hug to because he’s so funny and caring and… and now he’s gone."

According to Hart, the second time Michael approached the dogs, they became aggressive and attacked him. Hart said his mother did what she could to help her little boy.

"She went out there and had to kick the dog, and punch the dog… and you know, protect her son… but unfortunately, it… she wasn’t able to," said Hart.

Neighbors frantically called 911 as the dogs attacked. One caller told dispatchers she was armed and asked if she would face repercussions if she shot the dogs.

"They’ve pinned him down on the ground, and now they’re like biting him, but he’s not moving, and he’s not responding," the caller said.

Michael’s mother told FOX 35’s Hannah Mackenzie they have lived in the quiet Volusia County neighborhood for six years and have never seen the dogs before, but some neighbors said they have had run-ins with them.

"As soon as you drive in the driveway, you’d start hearing the dogs, and they’d be going crazy," said Frank Tuttle.

Tuttle lives near the dogs’ owner on Airport Road. He said one of the dogs previously killed another neighbor’s chickens.

"I didn’t know whether I had to carry a weapon or do whatever to not get attacked," Tuttle said.

Michael is the youngest of three children. According to Hart, he was named after his dad. She said Michael’s dad is a truck driver and was in Texas at the time of the attack. He drove overnight to get home.

"To listen to that 911 call, and hear Michael’s mother in the background when she dove on top of him to stop the attack, screaming, ‘somebody help me, my child is not breathing,’ strikes to the core of who we are as human beings," Chitwood said.

The family has a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs and expenses while they hope to take some time off work to grieve together.

Who owns the dogs?

Authorities said the owner of the dogs is a 31-year-old woman. She has an extensive criminal history, primarily related to drugs, according to the sheriff. The FOX 35 news team is choosing not to identify the woman, as she has not been charged.

What's next:

The two dogs have been captured. A joint investigation is currently underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.

"We're now awaiting the owner's response about whether to sign the dogs over or whether we have to go to court and fight over how we're going to proceed with this. So it's the beginning stages of an investigation," the sheriff said. 

MORE NEWS | Florida man arrested for slamming dog into concrete over bathroom incident, police say

Chitwood emphasized the woman would be held accountable.

"We are going to do everything humanly possible to hold the owner of these dogs responsible," Chitwood said. "And we're going to do everything possible to make sure that these animals are destroyed."

Did the dogs have a history of violence?

What we know:

Law enforcement officers who went door-to-door after the incident heard "horrific stories" from neighbors about how the dogs are frequently running loose and have destroyed chickens.

Officials also discovered that the dogs may have been involved in a previous incident in another county.

Chitwood stated that the sheriff’s office is following up on that report.

Officials said the dogs were never reported to animal services. 

"It is our responsibility as animal services to investigate all concerns of stray animals or aggressive animals in the community," Angela Miedema, the director of Volusia County Animal Services, said. "We strongly encourage anybody who is observing an animal that is stray, or observing a nuisance animal or aggressive animal to report it to us or your respective jurisdiction."

What's next:

Both dogs are now in quarantine with Volusia County Animal Services. According to Sheriff Mike Chitwood, the owner has not yet been charged. She has not agreed to sign the dogs over to be euthanized. 

On Tuesday, Chitwood said she would be held accountable.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:

The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Volusia County Sheriff's Office and Jackie Hart, Michael Millett's aunt.

Volusia CountyDeLandCentral Florida NewsFlorida