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6-week-old boy dies after attack by family dog, parents say – WGAU

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A 6-week-old eastern Tennessee boy died a week after he was attacked in his crib by his family’s dog, his parents said.

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Ezra Mansoor was pronounced dead on May 30 at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in Knoxville, WVLT-TV reported. The boy had been in critical condition since he was attacked on May 24 by a husky that Mark and Chloe Mansoor owned for eight years, the television station said.

The dog had never shown aggressive tendencies before the attack, the Mansoors said.

Chloe Mansoor said other children stayed at the home and there were never any problems with the dog, WBIR-TV reported. The Mansoors own two dogs, but only one of them attacked their first child.

“You just think it would never happen to you. But it can happen to anyone, with any breed of dog, no matter how long you’ve had the dog,” Chloe Mansoor told the TV station. “Ezra meant everything. There really are no words except absolutely everything.”

It was unclear what had provoked the alleged attack.

“I didn’t realize how much support we had for him and how many people loved him until this happened,” Chloe Mansoor told WBIR. “Ezra was just sleeping in his crib – he wasn’t crying or anything. And then out of the blue she attacked.”

According to Young-Williams Animal Center, the dog is currently being held at the facility and is subject to a mandatory 10-day bite quarantine, WBIR reported.

According to WVLT, Ezra’s organs will be donated.

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case, the television station said. The sheriff’s office said it could not provide any further information because the investigation involves minors, WBIR reported.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the Mansoor family. As of Saturday evening, over $9,800 had been pledged.