Melissa Karren: Babysitter of Kellan Islas, 7, who was mauled to death by 4 dogs calls canines 'scary'
FORT HALL, IDAHO: The babysitter of a seven-year-old boy, who was mauled to death by four dogs, claimed the dogs were "scary." Melissa Karren of Blackfoot, has looked after Emily Islas' two children since 2020 and said that she last saw Kellan on the day of the horrifying incident, that happened on January 21. During the incident, Islas was also severely injured and is currently in the ICU with nerve damage and head injuries.
Karren recalled the moment Islas' daughter, five-year-old Rory, mentioned they had to be "careful" of the neighbor's dog. "Rory had mentioned that the dogs were kind of scary," Karren told Daily Mail on Wednesday, January 25, adding, "I just assumed it was because they were large dogs. She made little comments [about] how they had to be careful around them. I responded by saying, 'Just be nice to them.' I never knew there were four, I thought maybe two."
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Islas let Kellan play outside but when he did not return after a few minutes, she went to check on him. She found him facedown on the porch of Benjamin Dominick Wolfchild and his wife Juliana's home while the dogs mauled him. Panicking, she ran to save him when the dogs attacked and left her injured. Wolfchild and Juliana, who owned the dogs, were not home at that time.
It was later revealed the the couple were cited for 15 violations of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes’ Animal Ordinance, including vicious animal attacks, rabies vaccination and being over the limit of canine or feline pets. The mother-son duo were rushed to Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello, where Kellan succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. Islas required emergency surgery and continues to remain in the intensive care unit at the medical center. Karren recalled the young boy and said he was "so smart," loved to read, and was a "go-getter."
Karren said, "Last Thursday, he brought over books from school and wanted to read to the other children." The devastated babysitter added, "He sat on the family room couch and read to them. Word for word, no mistakes. When Emily came to pick up Rory and Kellan, he asked me if he could read to them more often." She added the boy was "very active" and "very creative," stating, "He loved drawing and coming up with different ideas for games. All boy!" All four dogs were euthanized by the Fort Hall Police Department in the aftermath of the attack.