LUMBERTON — Three dogs that killed a 7-year-old and injured his 8-year-old brother have tested negative for rabies, according to Robeson County Health Director Bill Smith.

One of the dogs, a male pit bull, was found dead after the attack, which killed Talan West and left Jaylan West with leg wounds. The other two dogs, which were female and mixed breed, were euthanized.

The attack occurred at about 11:20 a.m. Sunday at a home on the 2400 block of Odum Road in Lumberton, down the road from where the brothers lived.

Talan West, a first-grader at Piney Grove Elementary School, was found unresponsive with “severe puncture wounds about the body,” according to the Sheriff’s Office. Both children were taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center, where Talan West died. Jaylan West was released from the hospital after being treated for leg injuries.

Official autopsy results are not yet available for the pit bull, but Smith said it appeared the dog had severe heartworms and became overexcited during the attack. Robeson County Sheriff Kenneth Sealey said the dog did not have any obvious injuries after the incident.

The female dogs each had young puppies, which were picked up by a rescue group, Smith said.

It remains unclear if anyone will be charged in the incident.

It’s the third fatal dog attack in Robeson County since 2012. In 2014, 83-year-old Alemeaner Dial suffered severe injuries when attacked by two family dogs at her home in Rowland and died later. In October 2012, Mary Jo Hunt, who worked with local animal rescue groups, was fatally attacked by one of several stray dogs she had taken in. Pit bulls or pit bull mixes were also involved in those attacks.

By Sarah Willets

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Sarah Willets can be reached at 910-816-1974 or on Twitter @Sarah_Willets.