7-month-old baby dies after being bitten by family dog ​​in ‘tragic’ accident

West Midlands Police in England said the dog, registered as a Belgian Malinois, had since been “humanely killed.”

A seven-month-old baby died last weekend in Coventry, England, after her family’s dog “tragically” bit her at home.

West Midlands Police publicly identified the toddler as Elle Doherty on Friday 21 June – five days after officers were called to her home in Shorncliffe Road at around 3pm local time on Sunday 16 June.

Accordingly The IndependentA spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said they received a call at 3.01pm and then dispatched “two ambulances, a paramedic, a paramedical technician and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Ambulance Helicopter”. The baby was then taken to hospital by “ambulance”.

The West Midlands Police press release said the ambulance arrived at the scene within “minutes” and found that Doherty had “suffered serious injuries to her head after being bitten by the family dog ​​inside the house.”

Related: 6-week-old boy dies after being attacked by family dog ​​in crib, family says

“Elle was treated at the scene by paramedics and then taken to hospital for further treatment,” the police press release said. “Tragically, she died a short time later. Our thoughts are with her family at this devastating time.”

As it turns out, the dog was registered as a Belgian Shepherd and was “removed from the home on Sunday and humanely killed,” according to West Midlands Police.

Elsewhere, the statement said that investigators “are now satisfied, following a detailed investigation into the circumstances of Elle’s death, that no criminal activity has taken place.”

“We have updated Elle’s family and a file is currently being prepared for the coroner. Our thoughts are with the family at this tragic time and they have now asked to be allowed to grieve in peace,” concluded West Midlands Police.

In December 2023 The Independent reported that the number of fatal dog attacks in the UK has reached a record high over the past two years, with 16 deaths from dog bites recorded in 2023 and six in 2022. Previously, the newspaper noted, the UK Office for National Statistics had never recorded more than five deaths between 1991 and 2021.

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The latest tragic death came just weeks after a newborn baby in Tennessee died after being attacked by a family dog ​​while sleeping in his crib.

On May 30, six-week-old boy Ezra was pronounced dead after his family’s husky – who had previously shown no signs of aggression, according to parents Mark Mansoor and Chloe Mansoor – attacked him in his sleep.

“You just think something like this 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 told local news station WBIR shortly after the incident.

The family told the outlet the dog “just attacked out of nowhere.” Chloe also paid tribute to her son, telling ABC 7 that being Ezra’s mother was “the greatest honor and the best thing I’ve ever done.”

“Really, don’t take anything for granted, even if it’s just a moment where you’re upset or frustrated. All those little moments are still so amazing,” she said.

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