A five-year-old boy in Australia has been tragically attacked and killed by a dog on Christmas Eve.
Five-year-old Emmanuel had been swimming in a pool with his grandmother at a house in the Gold Coast suburb of Varsity Lakes where they were house-sitting.
The homeowner's English bull terrier-American bulldog cross attacked unprovoked, biting the boy's back and neck, according to Courier-Mail.
The boy's grandmother and a neighbour, who jumped a fence, tried to save the boy before emergency services arrived.
Emmanuel went into cardiac arrest before paramedics administered an emergency blood transfusion.
The boy was rushed to Gold Coast University Hospital, but after several hours operating he could not be saved, the Courier-Mail reported.
Two dogs have been seized from the property by Gold Coast City Council animal control officers, including the English bull terrier-American bulldog cross.
The dog is currently in a council pound as investigations continue into the horrible incident.
The boy's grandmother, 41, was treated for injuries to her hands and arms from the incident as she desperately tried to save the boy's life.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by a group of friends to support the boy's father to help with funeral expenses, which has so far raised over AU$15,000.
The death of the five-year-old boy, who was also known as Manny, has left his family in grief and emergency responders horrified.
"Angus is a single father who is very dedicated to providing the best for his little bud," said Craig Kavanagh, who set up the GoFundMe page.
"Manny was Angus' world. His love for his son was immeasurable.
"Manny was a treasure and what has happened has left a lot of people in shock and sadness."
A Gold Coast City Council spokesperson would not comment on the history of the dog but did say in a statement they were investigating the incident.
"The city's animal management team are aware of the alleged attack and are presently investigating," the statement said.
