A 14-year-old Massachusetts boy who was taking care of another person’s dogs was found dead, apparently mauled to death in an outside enclosure, authorities said.
Ryan Hazel, of Rehoboth, was caring for 11 dogs while the owner was out of town, something he had done for about a year, said Gregg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.
The teen was pronounced dead Thursday at the home in Dighton after suffering “traumatic injuries,” Miliote said.
The four dogs found in the enclosure where Hazel died were Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherd, though officials didn’t specify how many of each breed.
The owner of the dogs has a background in dog training, Miliote said Friday.
Ryan’s grandmother brought him to the home and she waited about an hour in the driveway before she became concerned and called the teen’s parents. The parents called a neighbor who went to check on the teen and found him dead, Miliote said.
The four dogs and seven others that were caged in the home have been taken into custody by animal control, according to Miliote.
The town will determine what happens to the dogs after their quarantine period is over and they hold a hearing, he added.
No foul play is suspected in this case.
