4-year-old Washington boy killed after attack by family dog

SPOKANE, Washington (The Spokesman-Review) — The 4-year-old who died after being attacked by his family’s dog on Halloween has been identified as Colton Kline.

According to the Spokane County Medical Examiner, Colton died from sharp and blunt -force injuries of the head and neck, secondary to a dog bite. His death was ruled an accident.

The Kline family created a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs. As of Tuesday, the fundraiser had collected over $12,000.

Police responded to the Klines’ home on the 900 block of E. Walton Ave. at about 8 p.m. Oct. 31, according to the Spokane Police Department.

Officers arrived to find Colton severely injured. They render ed first aid but the boy died.

Family members injured the dog while trying to protect Colton. Officers on scene saw the animal was beyond help and shot it, the department said.

The Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service took custody of the dog’s body. The Spokane County Regional Health District is doing a rabies test on the dog, which was a pit bull mix, because an adult man on scene had puncture wounds from the animal. The dog had a current rabies vaccination, according to county spokesman Pat Bell.

Police described the boy’s death as a tragic accident and did not intend to open a criminal investigation.