Students to honor 14-year-old killed in fatal dog mauling

TAUNTON, Mass. — Students are honoring their classmate, Ryan Hazel, who was tragically killed in a dog mauling attack in Dighton last week by wearing green Monday.

Fourteen-year-old Hazel, whose favorite color was green, was a freshman at the Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School in Taunton and a member of the freshmen football and track teams. He was a Rehoboth resident.

Hazel was feeding dogs at a property on Maple Swamp Road last week when he failed to return to his grandmother’s waiting car. A neighbor eventually discovered Hazel with “traumatic injuries,” police said, along with four dogs -- a Dutch shepherd and three Belgian Malinois – roaming the property outside of their enclosure. Hazel was pronounced dead at the scene. Seven other dogs were found inside a home on the property.

Fatal dog attack appears to be 'terrible tragedy,' DA says

All 11 dogs were quarantined after the incident and Bristol District Attorney Thomas Quinn said the owner of the property, 49-year-old Scott Dunmore, who was not home when the apparent mauling occurred, is a dog trainer. According to Dunmore’s website, he has been training dogs professionally for 15 years.

The DA called the incident "a terrible tragedy for the family," and said it did not appear foul play was involved, at a Friday news conference.

Crisis response teams, made up of professionals and counselors from across the district, will be available as students return to classes.

Cox Media Group