UNION CITY -- A 6-year-old boy, from Dixon, died Monday after being mauled by a family dog at a Union City home, police said today.
The boy, identified as Nephi Selu, of Dixon, was playing in the backyard of his grandparents' home on Elizabeth Way just after 11:30 a.m. when the dog, a pit bull mix, bit him on top of his head, according to police.
According to family members, Selu may have tried to climb onto the dog's back, Union City police Cmdr. Ben Horner said. Emergency crews treated the boy at the scene for the bite wound and took him to Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, Horner said. The boy was alive when he was taken in the ambulance, Alameda County Fire spokeswoman Aisha Knowles said.
He was later pronounced dead.
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The dog was taken to the Tri-City Animal Shelter and will be held for a standard 10-day quarantine. An early investigation revealed that the dog was in compliance with his anti-rabies shots and licensing requirements, police said.
The dog, "Gava", is owned by Selu's uncle, a San Mateo police officer, NBC news is reporting that after the 10-day quarantine, he does not want the dog back.
