Police and animal control investigators are reviewing what led to the sudden bite.
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL — A 14-month-old boy was hospitalized after he was attacked by the family dog Friday afternoon inside a Hallandale Beach apartment, authorities said. The child was taken to a hospital and later airlifted for specialized treatment, officials and relatives told local media.
The attack drew a police response and an urgent call to Broward County Animal Care and Control, which took custody of the dog as investigators began reviewing what happened. The boy’s condition was described as stable by Saturday morning, according to local officials. The case is the latest in a series of serious dog-bite incidents involving very young children, which often occur in homes with familiar animals and can leave lasting injuries.
Hallandale Beach police said the attack happened in the 400 block of Southeast Ninth Court, a residential area of low-rise buildings and apartment units. Investigators said the boy’s mother was changing his diaper when the dog turned on the child. The boy’s father told reporters the mother looked away briefly to discard the diaper, then heard growling and realized the dog had lunged. In the struggle to pull the child free, the mother was also bitten, according to accounts given to local outlets and police spokespeople. A neighbor, Roy Green, said the family was well known in the area and described the father as attentive with the dog. “He walked his dog a lot, but the dog was not aggressive,” Green said.
Officers responding to the apartment found a chaotic scene, with family members focused on getting the child immediate medical care, authorities said. The mother and child were taken first to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment, according to reports that cited the child’s father and police. From there, the boy was moved by helicopter to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, a regional center that treats critically injured children from across Broward County. Television aerial video showed the child being transferred from a helipad on a stretcher and rushed inside, with the mother close behind. Police said they initially did not know the full extent of the boy’s injuries, but by Saturday they confirmed he was in stable condition.
The dog was described by authorities as a 6-year-old American bulldog. The father told reporters the dog had never shown signs of aggression before the attack. Neighbors said they were stunned by what happened and watched as law enforcement and animal control arrived outside the building. In one moment captured by a local TV crew at the scene, the father was heard speaking to the dog as officers prepared to remove it, showing the mix of grief and disbelief that can follow a sudden attack by a family pet. Green said he saw the father break down after the emergency response began. “I seen it when he laid down on the ground, he was crying. It’s really sad,” Green said.
Broward County Animal Care and Control took the dog from the home shortly after police arrived, officials said. Local reporting described the response as urgent, with an animal care van arriving at the apartment complex and officers assisting with the removal. Authorities said a family member secured the dog inside the home and requested help to have it removed safely. The dog was placed in the vehicle and driven away for custody and review. The agency said the incident remains under investigation, and officials have not publicly described whether the dog will be held for quarantine, evaluated for behavior, or subjected to additional steps while the case is reviewed.
Under Florida law, animal control authorities are required to investigate reported incidents involving dogs that may be considered dangerous, including interviews with owners and sworn statements from people seeking a dangerous-dog classification. The law lays out steps that can follow an investigation, including requirements for confinement, registration, and other restrictions if a dog is formally classified as dangerous. Those determinations can take time and may involve written notices and hearings, depending on the facts of the case and the severity of the injuries. In this incident, officials have not said whether any citation, criminal charge, or formal classification process has begun, and police have not released the names of the child or his parents.
The case also highlights a recurring reality for pediatric trauma teams: very young children are often the victims in the most serious dog-bite cases. Veterinary and public health researchers have long reported that children account for a large share of severe bite injuries, and that many attacks happen in familiar settings such as a home or a relative’s residence. In many investigations, the focus is not only on the animal’s breed or size, but on the exact circumstances leading up to the bite, including where the child and dog were positioned, whether an adult was nearby, and whether the dog had any prior reports. In Hallandale Beach, investigators have not identified a specific trigger, and relatives and neighbors have said they had not seen warning signs before Friday.
For residents in the neighborhood, the scene Friday afternoon was a jarring interruption to an otherwise routine day. Police vehicles and an animal control van gathered near the building as paramedics worked quickly. Several neighbors said afterward they were thinking first about the child’s recovery and the family’s shock. Green said the family had a good reputation locally and described the father as kind. “Good people, very good guy,” he said, adding that he hoped the child would recover. Officials have not released details about the boy’s injuries, such as where he was bitten or whether he will need surgery, and hospital staff have not issued a public update.
As of Saturday, the child remained under care and the dog remained in custody as the investigation continued. Authorities have said they are still gathering information, including statements from people at the home and details about the dog’s history. Police and animal control officials have not announced a timetable for their findings or whether a hearing will be scheduled. The next public update is expected to come once investigators complete initial interviews and determine what administrative steps, if any, will follow.
Author note: Last updated Feb. 21, 2026.