Another Baby Killed In Home By Dog

[Guest Ams]

A SIX-DAY-OLD baby has died in the most horrific circumstances after being mauled by the family dog.

Mother Sharon John, 42, had brought Eliza-Mae Mullane home from hospital just three days earlier.

The baby had reportedly spent time in intensive care after being born last Wednesday.

Police seized the family's Alaskan malamute after the incident, in the village of Pontyberem in Camarthenshire, south Wales. It is understood that the baby's father, Patric Mullane, had purchased the dog at the local pub.

Neighbour Patricia Punter told reporters that a weeping Ms John had run into her house shouting, "I don't know what to do''.

"It was terrible — I've never heard anything like it," she said.

"Sharon was in a state of shock and just screaming. She just kept on saying, 'The dog ate my baby's head. He's blaming me for it — the baby's gone'.

"God only knows what has gone on in there."

The dog, named Nisha, was five or six years old "but looked older", Ms Punter said.

"I think it may have been treated badly in the past. (Ms John) had only brought the baby home in the last week. It's it just awful — they loved their dogs as much as their children."

Neighbour Jennifer Brown caught Nisha after spotting the animal wandering the street after the attack and handed it over to police.

"It's a big dog and white around the mouth — but I didn't see anything that caught my eye to say anything had gone on," she said.

Alaskan malamutes were originally bred as sled dogs in the Artic, but have become popular family pets. They have a reputation for being gentle and friendly.

Family friend Gemma Prosser, 22, said the death was "heartbreaking", adding: "One minute they had a bundle of joy in their arms, the next minute they have lost their little girl in such a terrible way."

Dyfed Powys police said the exact cause of death could not be confirmed until a post mortem examination had being carried out.

Police were treating the death as a "tragic incident'' and Ms John and Mr Mullane were not being treated as suspects, a spokesman said.

My link

Edited February 19, 2014 by Ams

[Steph M]

Horrific. Jesus...

[Vehs]

I just read that story

http://www.news.com.au/world/mothers-scream-the-dog-ate-my-babys-head-after-pet-fatally-mauls-newborn/story-fndir2ev-1226831774161

That is devastating

[Dame Aussie]

Lesson #1 in parenting.

Do not bring a dog with an unknown history (purchased from the pub no less) into your home and let it anywhere near your 6 day old baby.

I don't know when people are going to learn

Edited February 19, 2014 by Aussie3

[Guest Wildthing]

Lesson #1 in parenting.

Do not bring a dog with an unknown history (purchased from the pub no less) into your home and let it anywhere near your 6 day old baby.

I don't know when people are going to learn

Never, because they all think it will never happen to me

[Jed]

Does it mention anywhere in any of the articles how long they had owned the dog for?

[westiemum]

Sorry to sound suspicious but are they sure it was the dog? The description of the dog post alleged attack seems to suggest there was no visible evidence on the dog? Or have I mis-read?

[cavNrott]

When will people learn to keep their young children safe around dogs, especially neonate children?

This is a terrible tragedy. Where were the parents when this happened.

[Yonjuro]

I have been following this terrible tragedy in the UK on a Husky forum. It seems that many husky and mal owners are being targeted and abused when walking their dogs in public and quite a few are being taken to shelters and rescues due to this incident.

A group of people are trying to hold the media to account in their reporting and are preparing a petition to try and make the media more responsible. Here is the link, and hope you will consider signing to show our support for the overwhelming majority of wonderful dogs of these breeds

http://www.northernwolf.co.uk/petition

I am so sad for this family - there surely is no nightmare worse than this.

Edited February 26, 2014 by Yonjuro

[Tempus Fugit]

I don't think equating sled dogs with wolves in the minds of the public through a website name like "northern wolf" is helpful to their cause. I am also not impressed by Ms Bailey's inference on her web page that shepherd breeding ('It could be that they get a husky x sheperd, with the look of the sibe but the temperament of an ex police or guard dog') - (and I wish dog fanciers at least could get the spelling of SHEPHERD right) would make a dog aggressive. I think breeders of Shepalutes (GSD/ Malamute crosses) would not be impressed by such comments.

[cannibalgoldfish]

Breeders of Shepalutes? They are breeding dogs yes, but they can't be breeders if no such "breed" exists...

Sorry, back on topic.

I'm sure I read a few stories of artic breeds killing babies. Something to do with them not recognising a human baby from prey until the baby gets to a certain age/size? I thought about it in the last thread about dogs attacking a small baby and comments about how babies can move or sound like prey.