Baby girl dies following dog bite
Posted: April 6, 2014
Posted in: Animal Attacks Head & Brain Injuries Wrongful & Accidental Death
An inquest has heard that a six-day-old baby girl died as a result of her family dog pulling her out of her pram and biting her. It was found that she died of severe head injuries; a coroner ruled her death to be accidental. Eliza-Mae Mullane, from Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire, was flown immediately to a hospital the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff following the attack in February, but could not be saved. Doctors pronounced her dead shortly after her arrival.
Eliza-Mae’s father has warned parents of the potential danger of family pets. The mother of the baby, Sharon John, had left Eliza-Mae sleeping while she put her son in a taxi to school. When she returned to the living room, the family’s dog had pushed its way into the room and Eliza-Mae was lying on the floor. A post-mortem examination found that she died of head injuries and internal bleeding.
“I hope this inquest will raise public awareness”
The family dog was an Alaskan Malamute and was put down alongside their other dog, a collie-cross breed. The family said that neither of the dogs had ever shown any sign of aggression. A statement made by Eliza-Mae’s father Patrick Mullane, said: “I hope this inquest will raise public awareness of the potential dangers family dogs can present to very young children.”
Coroner Mark Layton said: “Eliza’s mother could not have possibly foreseen this happening.”
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