Family dog attacks and kills 4-year-old in California. ‘Heart-wrenching event,’ police say

A 4-year-old girl died Wednesday following an attack by her family dog in Visalia.

In a social media post on Thursday evening, the Visalia Police Department said officers responded to a call about the attack around 8 p.m. Wednesday. The child had just finished swimming when she was attacked by the dog — described by police as “the family’s pit bull” — inside her home.

“Despite immediate medical attention and being transported to the hospital, she sadly passed away from her injuries,” the department wrote.

An investigation by detectives with the department’s Violent Crimes unit showed no signs of neglect or criminal wrongdoing, according to the post.

“This heart-wrenching event is a tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this incredibly difficult time.”

It is not clear if the family surrendered the dog and whether it would ultimately be euthanized. In a similar case in Fresno in 2016, two dogs were euthanized after being turned over to the Central California Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Visalia, in Tulare County, is about 45 miles southeast of Fresno.