Dog attack death was an accident: father

The father of a toddler killed in a dog attack in southern NSW says it was an accident.

Ruby-Lea Bourke, three years-old, was mauled by four mix-breed dogs at the home of a babysitter in Beechworth St, Whitton, near Leeton, on Wednesday and died at the scene.

Her 16-month-old sister, Lilly, survived the attack with serious injuries to her face and body.

She was taken to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital and is in a stable condition with her mother by her side.

The girls' father Dwayne Bourke has thanked the Whitton community, particularly neighbours who rescued Lilly and tried in vain to save Ruby-Lea.

"The dog attack was an accident and nobody's fault," the father said in a statement on Thursday issued through NSW Police.

The family has asked for the media to respect their privacy while Lilly recovers, but has released pictures of Ruby-Lea.

A 45-year-old woman, the owner of the dogs, was also injured and remains in a stable condition at Griffith Base Hospital, where she is expected to stay for the next few days.

Police said it was too early to say whether the owner - a friend of the girl's mother - would face any charges over the attack.

The small community of Whitton, which has a population of about 350, is still coming to terms with the attack.

Neighbours who heard the children and woman being attacked rushed to the home and pulled the children from the dogs.

Marleen Allendi, who was one of the first on the scene, said the whole town was devastated.

"They're all in a state of shock ... that's about as far as I can go with it today," an emotional Mrs Allendi told AAP.

Kirsty Seksel from the Sydney Animal Behaviour Centre said any dog attack was a tragedy, but they happened when the animals felt frightened.

"Children are very unpredictable," she said.

"They act differently to adults.

"They are shorter, they have high-pitched voices."

ABC television later reported that three of the four dogs had died.

Police had earlier requested the four dogs be euthanased.

ABC television said the dogs had been sedated with tranquillisers and impounded on Wednesday night, but three of the four dogs were found dead at the Leeton pound on Thursday morning.

According to a local council ranger, they died from a combination of sedative drugs, heat stress and obesity, the ABC said.

Meanwhile, NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos said he would consider tougher penalties for owners of dogs involved in attacks if required.

"Those matters ... come before the minister for local government," Mr Hatzistergos told reporters on Thursday.

"I'm happy to have a discussion with the minister for local government in relation to any issues."

A police spokesman said the surviving dog, which was still at Leeton Pound, may not necessarily be euthanased.

Whether or not it lives will depend on whether it can be proven the dog was involved in Wednesday's attack, he said.

"There might have been innocent bystanders for lack of a better phrase," he told AAP.