Boy, 2, 'mauled to death by pit bull' on holiday island as Brit mum arrested

A two-year-old boy has died after being mauled by a pit bull in Zante, Greece, where he was with his dad and British mum, reports say

A two-year-old boy has tragically died after being attacked by a pit bull.

The child is understood to have entered part of his family's property where the dog was kept in Zante, Greece. It was shortly after he, along with his dad and British mum, returned from shopping that the pit bull reportedly attacked him, biting him in the face and head.

He was rushed to the General Hospital of Zakynthos where he was treated by medics, but they could not save his life. The boy's mother is also being treated for shock following the tragic incident, reports say.

The youngster's parents have been arrested, according to local media. It has been claimed the dog was a stray which was found next to the family's house, in Agios Leontas, around two months ago.

Neighbours said the dog was being kept in the garden and it is not clear whether the attack took place outside or in one of the rooms of the house. Witnesses claimed the couple fought with the dog as it locked onto their son.

Speaking to Greek television, Michalis Giannakos, head of the national public hospital workers’ union, said the dog had been a stray the family chose to shelter. He said the mother was still unable to talk about the incident, while the father is speaking to police as part of routine procedures.

"Colleagues, when they saw the child who had been attacked by the dog with fatal bites to the neck, head, and skull... they told me that they had never seen anything like it before," he said. "(Paramedics) made a huge effort on the way from the village to the hospital to save the child but they did not succeed."

It is not known if the dog had shown any signs of having aggressive behaviour. Since the attack it has been held at a shelter, by order of a prosecutor, as required by law.

"From tomorrow it will be handed over to a veterinarian to be monitored," Zakynthos Mayor Giorgos Stasinopoulos told ERT. In the coming period, a five-member committee from Patras will be called upon to decide whether the pit bull should be put down or remain in a shelter.