Family dog kills newborn baby in bed in San Diego, California

The Guardian
Sat, 23 Apr 2016 18:00 UTC

The 44kg pit bull breed cross was impounded after biting a newborn child to death in San Diego.

A pit bull terrier crossbreed dog lying in bed with a San Diego couple bit and killed their three-day-old son when it was startled awake.

The parents had been watching television at the time with their newborn and the 44kg (97lb) American Staffordshire terrier-Great Dane mix was lying with them, said Sergeant Tu Nguyen of the San Diego police child abuse unit.

"The mum coughed unexpectedly and it startled the dog, which bit the baby, causing traumatic injury," said Nguyen, whose unit investigates the death of any child.

"The parents were able to separate the dog from the baby and they rushed him to the hospital but they were not able to save him."

Nguyen declined to say where the baby was injured and said police were waiting for the medical examiner's report on the exact cause of death.

The dog was taken into custody by San Diego county animal services, officials said. Any dog that bites a person is placed in quarantine by animal control, said Dan DeSousa, deputy director of the agency.

DeSousa said the family could direct animal control to euthanise the dog or they could claim the dog at the end of a 10-day quarantine, but the agency had not yet received any instructions.

The American Staffordshire is one of a number of pit-bull dog breeds recognised as dangerous and subject to various breeding and ownership restrictions in different parts of the world.

The Texas-based charity DogsBite.org lists three previous killings of children by pit bulls in the US in 2016, and a dozen people killed in 2015. The group campaigns against dangerous dog breeds and on behalf of victims of attacks.

Reader Comments

Toby · 2016-04-23T18:21:20Z

There have been a lot of people killed by large dogs recently. It might be time for the media to release a new batch of viral "dogs are better then cats" stories. Because, snobs like dogs. Dogs are trendy. Cats suck... you do what we tell you. Cats are pathetic, and just sit around and lick themselves all day. Dogs are like people, dogs are fun. Go get a doggy. Be trendy. You can take your dog into Wal-Mart now.

jim24 · 2016-04-23T20:47:50Z

Sounds like you were chased by a weiner dog when you were a kid. Several places you can take your dog in now. A worker from wal mart told me the other day that the dogs that come in the store are cleaner than half the workers and the customers that work and shop there. My dog goes everywhere with me including work I can trust him no matter what I hate to say but they are better companions then women. Sorry Girls. So I say to you get a dog they're good at stress relief too which it sounds like you could use.

Servaline · 2016-04-24T03:29:04Z

Too bad nobody can campaign

for this little baby. The dog doesn't need to be quarantined, he needs to be euthanized as do all pit bulls who attack animals or humans.

Highland Fleet Lute · 2016-04-24T07:51:39Z

There should be lengthy jail sentences for owners of animals like this.

If you want a four-legged friend get a dog, not a shark with legs.

shellycheval · 2016-04-24T12:40:02Z

My father used to say

"You can't train a dog unless you're smarter than the dog."
This is a sad unfortunate accident for all around.
Some dogs never bite humans--those that do are not fit companions, even if they have been "ruined" by poor or lack of training.