2 1/2 Month Old Infant Mauled to Death by Family Dog

2 1/2 Month Old Infant Mauled to Death by Family Dog
(Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, June 9, 2014)
On Sunday June 8 at 11:41am, Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies from the Springfield Township Substation responded to a call for assistance where a 2 ½ month old baby boy had been attacked by a dog in the 8000 block of Tindall Road.
Upon arrival, deputies found the 26 year old father placing the infant in the front seat of his truck to take him to the hospital. Due to the extent of the baby’s injuries, the deputies immediately began CPR until the Springfield Township Fire Department arrived on scene. The baby was immediately transported to Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc Township. It was determined by the emergency room physician at Genesys that the baby needed to be airlifted to William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. At Beaumont, the infant unfortunately succumbed to his wounds.
The incident occurred when the infant’s 18 year old uncle, who resides at the residence, was holding the child on the couch. The dog tried to jump on the couch and was pushed off. Shortly after, the dog jumped back up and began attacking the infant in the head and throat area. The 26 year old father was able to pry the dog’s jaws open and release the infant from the dog’s hold. The father also sustained injuries as a result of the attack.
The dog is a 3 ½ year old female and is a “Catahoula” cattle hound breed. The family owned the dog for a little over two years. Several months ago the dog had bitten a neighbor but it did not result in serious injury.
Sheriff’s Detectives and the Sheriff’s Office Forensic Lab responded to the scene to conduct the investigation. Oakland County Animal Control responded and took custody of the dog. The Medical Examiner was notified and a postmortem autopsy will be performed. Child Protective Services was also contacted and advised of the investigation. The dog will be put to sleep by Oakland County Animal Control.
Sheriff Michael J. Bouchard said, “This is a tragic incident and a sad reminder to keep animals away from small children and babies no matter what the circumstances may be. Animal behavior, whether intended as playful or territorial, can have devastating impact on small children.”
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NOTE: An earlier version of this story had “years” in the headline instead of months.  We apologize for the error.

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