Rottweiler that killed Wisconsin boy, 7, was trained as guard dog

The mother of the 7-year-old boy who was mauled to death by a rottweiler in rural Dodge County was helping train the dog to provide personal protection and service for a client, according to a law enforcement report.

Logan T. Meyer suffered significant head and facial injuries Oct. 24 and died shortly after he was attacked near a kennel building at a residence on Highway 67 in the town of Hustisford, the Dodge County sheriff's report said.

The boy's mother, Tiffany Smith, 32, told a Dodge County sheriff's deputy that the rottweiler, named Ozzy, had been living in a house with them for three months and there had been no previous incidents or safety concerns with the dog during his training before the attack, the report said.

Smith said that Ozzy had been previously trained in Holland as a protector of personal property. She added Ozzy was her son's favorite dog and it attacked Logan after he let it outside to go to the bathroom, the report said.

The sheriff's report was obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal on Friday after an open records request. Previous media requests for the report had been denied by Dodge County Sheriff Patricia Ninmann, who said the family's right to privacy outweighed the public's right to know.

Smith told the deputy that she and her husband, Jessie Smith, just moved to the residence four days before the attack and planned to run their business, Platinum K9 Protection, from it.

The Facebook page for the business said it trains dogs “with a switch.

” A switch was defined in a New York Times story as a command that switches dogs from attack mode to pet mode.

The Smiths are also affiliated with Vohne Liche Kennels, located in Denver, Ind. The business' Facebook page said the kennel trains military and police service dogs for over 5,000 law enforcement and government agencies.

Jessie Smith is listed as the co-founder and chairman and Tiffany Smith is the president and chief operating officer of the Vohne Liche Kennel's Executive and Family Protection training group. It claims in its Facebook page that its canines are the industry's leader in Personal Security and Companionship.

Logan's father was identified by the Fond du Lac Reporter as Rob Meyer. Smith told the deputy that Logan's father was in Texas on business when the accident occurred, the report said.

According to the report:

Tiffany Smith called 911 about 5:20 p.m. Oct. 24 and said her son had been attacked by a dog by the kennel on the residence. The deputy who arrived on scene 10 minutes later said Logan was conscious and breathing as emergency medical responders tended to him and his mother kneeled by his side. The deputy said the blankets under the boy's head were covered in blood. The dog, meantime, had been locked up.

Logan was