LAYTON, Utah – A quiet Layton neighborhood is reeling after a dog bit off part of a little boy’s arm.

Emergency responders said the 4-year-old was in his backyard reaching under his neighbor’s fence at the time.

“It’s life changing for this little boy and for the family,” said Layton Fire Battalion Chief Jason Cook.

LFD EMS & UofU AirMed have transported a pediatric dog bite patient to Primary Children’s Hospital. Patient is stable but will require surgical intervention. @UofUAirMed @LaytonFYI pic.twitter.com/Hf7B76fgi9 — LaytonFire (@Layton_Fire) March 3, 2019

He said he’s never responded to a dog bite so severe in his 30-year career.

“(The child) probably will have lost his hand and the lower-most part of his right arm,” he said.

Cook said it was around 3:30 p.m. Sunday when the boy stuck his sock-covered, right hand under the fence into the neighbor’s backyard. That’s when one of their two huskies bit down. Despite searches by about a dozen officials, his hand was never recovered.

The 4-year-old was flown to Primary Children’s Hospital for surgery.

“No parent wants to go through that,” said neighbor Stacey Taft. “They don’t want to see that kind of stuff happen and to not be able to stop it.”

.@Layton_Fire says Davis County Animal Control has quarantined the two huskies while they investigate the amputation. PIO says the 4-year-old boy is tough!!! He wasn’t crying in the ambulance. PIO says it’s a tragic, life changing incident. @KSL5TV #KSLTV pic.twitter.com/JNRTp64cc7 — Caitlin Burchill (@newsyCaitlin) March 4, 2019

Neighbors said the 4-year-old loves dogs, and they feel bad for both families.

Even in a kid- and dog-friendly neighborhood, sometimes even the sweetest pups can get protective.

“Yeah, we’ve talked to the kids about still being cautious around other animals,” Taft said. “Not all animals are always nice.”

The dog owners told investigators that their husky has never had an aggressive incident.

“Again, I think this is one of those innocent child play moments where the dogs have probably been in the backyard many, many times,” Cook said. “He’s seen them and maybe even done something similar with them before, but for whatever reason this one kind of took a tragic turn today.”

Both dogs are currently quarantined by Davis County Animal Control. The two animals will be held there while the investigation continues.