A toddler from the US has died after being mauled by a pitbull while her parents partied at a Fourth of July celebration.
It comes after Daniel Wilander and Chelsea Cirino took their daughter, 17-month-old Marley Wilander, to a party at a friend's house in Joliet, Illinois, news.com.au reports.
Marley's parents had left the girl in a playpen upstairs as they partied when two pitbull mix dogs escaped the basement of the home sometime during the night, according to a police statement.
The homeowner was alerted to the incident after hearing noises coming from upstairs in the early hours of the morning, where they discovered one of the dogs biting Marley, who had "bite marks throughout her body," according to local police.
Marley was transported to hospital, where she later died.
The dog involved has since been turned over to animal control.
No charges have been filed.
A GoFundMe page for Marley's funeral costs and medical bills has already received US$32,570 (NZ$49,562) since it was set up two days ago.
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