Denali Gonzalez died after she was attacked by the family dog on Friday

'Always Smiling' Texas Toddler Is Mauled by Family Dog and Dies in Mother's Arms

A Texas toddler is dead after she was mauled to death by her family’s dog, according to multiple reports.

The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release the 2-year-old died after she was attacked by her family’s dog outside her home on Oct. 12, the Houston Chronicle, the Alvin Sun and Advertiser and local station KTRK-TV report. The girl had been playing with the dog after her and her family returned from a shopping trip shortly before 5 p.m.

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When a member of her family went to check on her, they found that the dog had attacked her.

First responders from the sheriff’s office and Alvin Animal Control arrived on the scene at about 5 p.m. and found the girl unresponsive. She had been mauled by the dog, which was euthanized on the scene and was identified in the release as a mixed-breed dog, according to the Sun and Advertiser.

Several attempts were made to revive the girl but she succumbed to her injuries.

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The dog did not have a known history of violence or aggression, Lt. Varon Snelgrove told the Chronicle, which reports the animal’s jaw locked in around the girl’s throat and upper torso.

“There’s nothing the family could have done,” Snelgrove said. “It’s just a horrific, horrific incident.”

The Sun and Advertiser and a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses identified the little girl as Denali Gonzalez.

“She passed away in her mother’s arms waiting for an ambulance,” the GoFundMe says. “Denali was always smiling and making people happy. She’s in a better place now, she’s watching over her family.”