The babysitter of the seven-year-old boy who was mauled to death by four dogs and left his mother severely injured said the dogs were ‘scary.’
Melissa Karren, of Blackfoot, Idaho, has babysat Emily Islas’ two children since 2020 and last saw them on Friday before Kellan, seven, was tragically mauled to death by the neighbors’ four dogs the following evening.
Emily was also severely injured and is currently in the ICU with nerve damage and head injuries.
Since babysitting the youngsters, Karren recalled Emily’s daughter Rory, five, had mentioned the neighbor’s dogs were ‘scary’ and they had to be ‘careful.’
‘Rory had mentioned that the dogs were kind of scary,’ Karren told DailyMail.com on Wednesday afternoon. ‘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.’
Kellan Islas, seven, (right) was mauled to death by four dogs, including two Rottweilers, outside his home on the Fort Hall Reservation in Idaho on Saturday. His mother, Emily, 39, (left) was ‘severely injured’ trying to protect her son
Karren said she doesn’t believe Rory (left) understood what had happened to her brother (right), but that her parents Emily and Lyle have told her that Kellan is ‘her angel now.’ Rory was at home during the attack, but her mother told her to stay inside
Babysitter Melissa Karren (left) told DailyMail.com on Wednesday at Emily’s daughter Rory, five, had mentioned that the dogs were ‘scary’ and ‘they had to be careful around them’
Rory was at home when the attack happened, but was inside the RV, according to Karren.
The dogs were owned by the neighbors Benjamin Dominick Wolfchild and Juliana Wolfchild, who have since been given 15 citations by the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Animal Ordinance, including one for not keeping their dogs’ rabies vaccinations up-to-date. The couple could also face federal charges.
The Islas family had just recently moved back to the area from Idaho Falls over Christmas break and Karren believed the mother-of-two’s living situation was ‘temporary.’ She did not know if Emily knew the Wolfchilds personally, but their RV was located behind the couple’s home.
Emily had let her son outside to play around 5.50pm on Saturday. When he did not return a few minutes later, she found him laying face down on the Wolfchild residence porch while the dogs attacked him, according to Sho-Ban News.
Emily was left ‘severely injured’ after she tried, but failed, to fight off the dogs. She laid on top of her son to protect him, but by the time the attack was done, the child’s injuries had rendered him unconscious.
Both were taken to Portneuf Medical Center.
Karren, who has been in childcare for 20 years, remembered the young boy as ‘so smart’ and that he loved to read.
‘Last Thursday, he brought over books from school and wanted to read to the other children,’ she told DailyMail.com. ‘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 also remembered Kellan as a ‘go-getter’ who was ‘very active’ and ‘very creative.’
Emily had let her son outside to play around 5.50pm on Saturday. When he did not return a few minutes later, she found him laying face down on the Wolfchild residence porch while the dogs attacked him. She failed to fight off the dogs and laid down on top of her son to protect him, but he injuries caused him to lose consciousness
Karren remember Kallen (pictured with his mother) as ‘so smart’ and ‘very creative’
She last saw the boy (pictured with his mother) and his sister on Friday and said the day before Kallen had brought books to her room and read to the other children and wanted to do it more often
‘He loved drawing and coming up with different ideas for games. All boy!’ she told DailyMail.com. ‘He recently got a cellphone and was so excited about the wallpapers he found on them and was always playing music and doing dance-offs.’
As for Rory, Karren doesn’t believe the little girl fully understands what has happened to her brother, but that her father Lyle and Emily have told her that ‘Kellan was now her angel.’
Rory is currently staying with Lyle, who declined to be interviewed as the family is ‘taking some time to be private.’
‘It’s been a lot for the family and they need time to process and heal,’ Karren told DailyMail.com.
Emily has undergone emergency surgery following the attack and is still currently in the ICU.
‘I’ve talked to her every day since Monday,’ the babysitter told DailyMail.com. ‘She’s hurting- physically and emotionally…She has several severe injuries that need to heal right now.’
The mother-of-two ‘sustained nerve damage and [had] a ruptured artery in her right arm, as well as, damage to the back of her head, left arm, and her back,’ her friend Samantha Lenay wrote on GoFundMe.
‘I know Emily, and I know she did everything in her power to protect Kellan from that attack. She is an amazing woman and mother and sacrificed herself to try and save her little boy,’ the mother’s friend Samantha Lenay wrote on GoFundMe, which has raised nearly $19,000 of it’s now-updated $30,000 goal.
Emily was left ‘severely injured’ after she tried, but failed, to fight off the dogs. She laid on top of her son to protect him, but by the time the attack was done, the child’s injuries had rendered him unconscious
The mother is currently in the ICU and had undergone emergency surgery. She suffered from nerve damage and head injuries
The mom has undergone surgery and remains ‘pretty swollen,’ Lenay said. She will need physical and occupational therapy due to the nerve and tissue damage in her arms.
Bannock County Coroner Torey Danner called it a ‘tragic situation’ and said his ‘heart goes out to them.’
‘To lose a child is every parent’s worst nightmare. This situation is very difficult to understand and my thoughts and prayers are with them in this tough time,’ he said, according to Idaho State Journal.
The Woldchilds were issued 15 citations by the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Animal Ordinance, including vicious animal attack and being over the pet limit, according to Sho-Ban News. They also received a violation for rabies vaccinations for their dogs.
DailyMail.com has reached out to the Wolfchilds for comment.
All four dogs were euthanized by the Fort Hall Police Department.
Fort Hall Police, the FBI, and Fish & Game are conducting an investigation into the incident and the case is expected to be submitted to the US Attorney’s Office for review.
