Tragic death of 4 year old in NSW

[HTCURRY]

A four-year-old girl has died after being mauled by four pig-hunting dogs in a horrific attack in NSW's Central West, police say.

The attack was so frenzied two of the large cross-breed dogs had snapped chains tying them up, police said.

The girl was attacked in the backyard of a house in Garden Avenue, Warren, near Dubbo, about 7.30pm yesterday, police said.

In a horrible twist, the dogs' owner was a family friend and neighbour who joined a search for her after she went missing from her home, police said.

The girl had played in the neighbour's yard earlier that day, police said.

The girl had been missing for about two hours when she was attacked, Bourke duty officer Inspector Greg Moore said.

"The neighbour was out helping to look for the child when he heard his dogs barking," he told smh.com.au this morning.

"He went home and discovered the child in his yard."

The girl had been badly bitten on the head, neck, and body, police said.

She was taken to Warren hospital in a critical condition, but died just after 3am today.

Three of the four dogs had been chained, but two broke free in their attacking frenzy, Inspector Moore said.

"She had very horrific injuries," he said.

"Three [of the dogs] were chained and one was roaming free.

"But apparently two of them have broken their chains in the attack."

The dogs were not a specific breed, but had been used for hunting, Inspector Moore said.

"I understand they were rather large dogs - they had been used for pig hunting in the past," he said.

The dogs had been seized by police, who were carrying out forensic investigations, he said.

Acting Commander of the Darling River Local Command Alan Cusack said the girl had been playing in the same yard earlier in the day.

"These were family friends involved and the child had actually been in the yard earlier that day.

"There had been no incident but it appears she's wandered back in on her own later on that evening,'' he told Macquarie Radio.

"Unfortunately, then the attacks occurred."

Commander Cusack said the death was a terrible thing for the girl's family and their friends.

"It's a dreadful thing for the people of Warren and especially the families involved," he said.

"We've spent some time with the family and they're in utter shock.''

Meanwhile, a three-year-old boy is in a stable condition in Sydney's Nepean Hospital after he was attacked by a dog in the city's west.

The child was attacked by a Staffordshire-type dog after falling into his neighbour's yard while climbing a tree about 1.30pm yesterday, police said.

The mother called an ambulance to their home in Campton Street, Cambridge Park, and the child was taken hospital suffering facial cuts and scratches.

Police and council officers are checking the details of the dog and will speak to the owners.

source:http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/...166485402.html

this is just so sad.