Pit bull that fatally mauled 4-year-old girl in San Joaquin Valley was her ‘playful’ family dog

Zoey Hawkins loved to sing and dance, especially in her Cinderella dress, and she loved to play with the family dog.

Since Zoey, 4, was adopted two years ago, she and the pit bull were constantly together.

But last week, the dog turned on her, as she was getting out of a kiddie pool in the scorching heat outside her Visalia home, said her cousin Pearl Vargas.

Officers responded shortly after 8 p.m. Wednesday to the home on West Monte Vista Avenue, authorities wrote in a statement on Facebook.

The Visalia Police Department said the child was taken by paramedics to a hospital, where she died.

An investigation found no evidence of neglect or criminal wrongdoing, and the dog had no history of violence or aggression, said Elizabeth Jones, the department’s public information officer. At the family’s request, the dog was taken by animal control and euthanized, Jones said.

“She and the dog were inseparable,” Vargas said. “They played with each other, they were around each other and the dog was always super playful. We have literally no clue why the dog did this, or turned on her in this way.”

Vargas said Zoey’s parents rushed their daughter inside to try and stop the bleeding after the attack. They had planned to drive her to the hospital, Vargas said, when they realized her injuries were too severe and called 911.

“This heart-wrenching event is a tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this incredibly difficult time,” authorities wrote in their statement.

The family, which has two other children, has started a GoFundMe to cover Zoey’s funeral expenses.

Zoey was a “very outgoing, fun, smart, caring little girl,” Vargas said. “She was always bouncing off the walls and being her crazy little self.”