Florida boy, Logan Shepard, attacked or killed by two pit bulls

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Debbie Carter stated Sunday that 4-year-old Logan Shepard was visiting relatives and the uncle put the dogs in crates before the boy arrived. The boy’s mother left Logan alone while “adult relatives were talking in another room.”

Carter then detailed that the adults “heard screaming and discovered that the boy was not in the house…Two deputies conducting a traffic stop nearby also heard the screams and rushed to the home.”

Carter says Logan was found in the front yard with the dogs standing over him. Authorities pronounced the boy dead at the scene.

Authorities have no filed any charges against the boy’s uncle, Billy Frederick, who told police he put them in a crate. Animal Services responded and took possession of the dogs.

The Pet Resources Division of Hillsborough County took possession of the dogs, which were “humanely euthanized” by Sunday afternoon, said Marti Ryan, a spokeswoman for the division formerly known as Animal Services.

Ryan said tests will be done on the adult female dogs to determine whether there were medical issues or other stressors that may have triggered the attack. Further information is expected to be available Monday afternoon, Ryan said.

There is no history of the Pet Resources Division making previous calls to the Fredericks’ home, according to the sheriff’s office.

Pit bulls are among several dog species that have made headlines for aggressive behavior.

“There is no science that backs up breed discrimination,” said Ryan, referring to the negative view some people have of pit bulls. “It’s the circumstances (one must understand), not the breed. Any dog can bite. The cardinal rule is to never leave any dog and any child alone in any case.

“We’re trying to roll back the layers now to find out how that occurred” in Logan’s case, she said.

Logan Shepard photo/Facebook