Death Of Eight-Week-Old Baby Sparks Warning After Infant Mauled By Lab And Schnauzer Mutt Family Dogs


A baby only eight-weeks-old was mauled to death by the family dogs as he slept in his bassinet inside the family’s Houston, Texas, home. This tragic news over the weekend has sparked a warning about bringing home your newborn baby when it comes to the family dogs, even if they are the most trusted of pets behavior wise. The eight-week-old baby suffered fatal injuries mainly around his torso by the family’s two dogs, both who were turned over to the local animal control officers.

ABC 13 News reports the parents had stepped away from the baby in his bassinet when the attack occurred. The parents immediately called 911, but it was too late to save the newborn. Both these family pets were not breeds that are often associated with a mauling. Neither is a breed of dog that one would expect to be aggressive. One was a Labrador retriever mix and the other was a giant schnauzer mix.

According to the American Kennel Club, the Giant Schnauzer is a dog that is “good with children, but they do say “supervision is better.” The American Kennel Club reports the Labrador Retriever. is “good with children.” The dogs, which were both named Jack, have been euthanized and the remains are being tested for rabies. These family pets were handed over by the father of the baby on Sunday to the BARC, which is the animal control agency in Houston.

A neighbor who saw the ambulance come and take the new baby away said she just “broke down” when she heard what had happened. Maria Medina told reporters “It was, I have no words for it, it was really bad.”

Dr. Ray Moore, who is a Veterinarian and owner of the Oak Forest Veterinary Hospital, discussed this horrific mauling death of a newborn by two family pets. She said that it sounds like a tragic accident occurred in that home with the baby and the family’s dogs.

Moore said that even long time family pets can behave badly when a new baby joins the family. She said,

“You should never ever leave the baby alone in the presence of a dog.” The Veterinarian continued, “However, it doesn’t sound like that was even done in this case. This is just worst-case scenario.”

According to ABC News, while this tragedy appears to be an accident, it is still under investigation by the homicide division of the Houston Police Department. The homicide division investigates all deaths involving babies, so this is standard procedure.

Sadly, this is not an isolated case. Last year a 21-day-0ld newborn baby was mauled to death in Bangor, Maine, by the family dog as the baby slept in his bassinet. The parents were sound asleep in the same room when they were jarred from their sleep by the sounds of the dog attacking their baby son.

The husky-shepherd mix was also euthanized in this case, according to local CBS News. The parents were right there in the same room and that dog, which had never shown any sign of aggression before. For some unknown reason, this family-friendly dog attacked the infant.

According to Global News, a three-day-old baby was mauled to death by her family’s dogs in Fresno, California in June of last year. The baby was rushed to the hospital, but she later died. The baby was left on the couch by the mother and the front door was open to let in some fresh air.

The mother was in the bathroom when the family dogs came in from outside and dragged the baby back outside with them. It was the woman’s brother “who discovered the gruesome scene.”

The two male shar-pei/pit bull mixes were thought to be securely chained outside when the mother opened the door. The mother did describe one of these dogs as “aggressive.” These dogs were also euthanized.

The ASPCA describes what it is like for a dog when you bring a new baby home, especially if the baby is your first. The dog’s routine will change drastically out of necessity for you to spend time with the baby. There will be new sights, smells, and sounds in the house and the baby crying might even upset the dog. The ASPCA offers some valuable advice for a dog owner when bringing home a baby on The American Society For Prevention of Cruelty To Animals website, which can be viewed here.

[Featured Image by Celiafoto/Shutterstock]

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