Family dog attacks, kills infant in Michigan

0

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — A family dog fatally
attacked its owners’ 2½ month-old son after jumping on the couch and
biting the infant as the baby was being held by his uncle, authorities
in southeastern Michigan said.
The attack happened late Sunday morning at a home in Springfield Township, about 30 miles northwest of
Detroit.
The
child’s 18-year-old uncle was holding the baby on the couch when the
dog, a Catahoula hound, tried to jump onto the couch. The uncle pushed
the dog off, but it jumped back on and attacked the boy’s head and
throat, sheriff Michael Bouchard told WDIV-TV (http://bit.ly/SHSPNl ).
There
was no negligence by the adults involved, who had no reason to think
the dog would attack the baby unprovoked, Bouchard said.
"It just
turned and grabbed the baby," the sheriff said. "Who knows how much of
this is instinctual, who knows how much territorial?"
The infant’s 26-year-old father was injured while prying open the dog’s jaws, Bouchard said.
"He
did everything he could to get the dog off of the baby, so much so that
he’s going to need stitches in his arms," Bouchard said.
The boy
was taken to Genesys Regional Medical Center before being airlifted to
William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, where he died, authorities said.
"This
is a tragic incident, and it is a sad reminder to keep animals away
from small children and babies no matter what the circumstances may be,"
the sheriff told the station. "Animal behavior, whether intended as
playful or territorial, can have devastating impact on small children."
The Associated Press left a phone message seeking comment from the sheriff’s office Monday.
Authorities
said they planned to euthanize the dog, a 3½-year-old female Catahoula
hound that the family had owned for about two years. The dogs can reach
weights between 40 and 90 pounds. The breed, named for Louisiana’s
Catahoula Parish, traditionally has been used in boar hunting.

No posts to display