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Micheal Millet, an 8-year-old boy was riding a bike when two dogs who he tried to pet, mauled him to death on 13 January in DeLand, Florida. Volusia Sherriff's office released a statement regarding the tragedy on X. They wrote:
"A local family is dealing with tragedy tonight after a pair of dogs fatally attacked an 8-year-old boy north of DeLand. Reported just before 5 p.m. in the area of Arabesque Dr/Airport Rd. Witnesses called 911 & began CPR on the victim, but he was not able to survive his injuries."
Michael Millett was riding his bike with a friend on Monday afternoon when they encountered two dogs near the entrance of their neighborhood, according to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood. Michael approached the animals to pet them, but they suddenly attacked.
'Michael was savagely and fatally mauled on the spot,' Sheriff Chitwood shared during a press briefing on Tuesday. One of the dogs involved, weighing around 70 pounds, was identified as a pit bull.
Audio from a 911 call, played during the press conference, revealed the sheer horror of the scene. A distraught caller could be heard pleading for immediate assistance, saying, 'A little boy is being attacked by two dogs.' Her panic intensified as she described the dogs' aggression:
"They’re pulling at him, and now they’ve pinned him down. He’s not moving or responding. Please hurry."
Michael’s mother heroically intervened during the attack, diving in to try to save her son while frantically shouting for help. Although the dogs did not harm her directly, they remained nearby as she desperately fought to protect her child.
As the investigation unfolded, authorities discovered that the dogs had a history of problematic behavior in the neighborhood. Sheriff Mike Chitwood noted that the animals were known for roaming freely and had previously killed chickens. He also suggested the possibility that the dogs might have been involved in other incidents in a neighboring county. Sherriff Mike Chitwood shared:
“Clearly this didn’t just happen in vacuum, these dogs have been terrorizing the neighborhood for a while,”
GoFundMe account for Michael Millet
A GoFundMe account with a goal of $50k has been set up to help Michael's parents Tiffani and Michael Millet. The campaign has already successfully raised over $67k and aims to:
"Help with the funeral expenses, medical expenses and additional expenses with missed time off at work. Tiffani and Michael have two other children and need time to spend with them during this difficult time."
Michael Millet's father, took to his X to share his grief after his son's passing. He wrote:
"My baby boy, my meatball, my meathead, my buddy. I can’t put the words together right now. I need my buddy back!!!!!"
Michael Millet's,17 and 11-year-old sisters shared their thoughts on the attack with WFTV News anchor Demie Johnson.
Skylar Pittman, one of Millet's sisters said:
"I just don't know how I am going to move on without him. He was just the best little kid ever. My heart is broken into a million pieces."
Kynsleigh Connell, another of Micheal Millet's sisters said:
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"He was just so sweet to everybody and just always so happy and he almost always had a smile on his face."
The WFTV News anchor also reported that Sheriff Mike Chitwood also wanted to prove that there was negligence on behalf of the dog's owners in this case and wanted the community to help prove that.
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