Deputies shot and killed the dog so they could reach the child. The girl was pronounced dead.
A 5-year-old girl was found dead Thursday evening after her grandmother reported her missing from a home in Graham, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
The grandmother called 911 around 6:11 p.m. after she was unable to find the child at a home in the 30200 block of 92nd Avenue East, the sheriff’s office said.
The girl had last been seen on the deck of the home and had been missing for about 10 minutes when the call was made, according to the sheriff’s office.
When deputies arrived, they found an aggressive dog near the child’s body. The dog would not allow deputies to approach the girl, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies shot and killed the dog so they could reach the child. The girl was pronounced dead.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of death.
According to the sheriff’s office, the girl and her grandmother were visiting the home while preparing to go camping. The child had been around the dog before.
The circumstances surrounding the girl’s death remain under investigation.
