Police said the mother and father were watching television with the baby and the American Staffordshire terrier, when the mother coughed and startled the dog, who bit the baby, NBC San Diego reported.
Advertisement
A San Diego couple’s pet dog mauled their 3-day-old baby boy as the family curled up in front of the TV Thursday night. The noise spooked the pooch – and pup reacted by biting the baby, police said.
The child was pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital by his parents.
“At this time it appears to be a tragic accident”, Nguyen said.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports animal control officers took the 2-year-old dog into custody.
A dog attacked and killed a newborn baby after it was startled by a cough, police have said.
He added that an autopsy will be conducted to confirm the actual cause of death.
The dog is now quarantined at the Department of Animal Services.
Any dog that bites a person is placed in quarantine by animal control, said Dan DeSousa, deputy director of the agency.
DeSousa said the owners will decide if they want to reclaim the dog.
Advertisement
The American Staffordshire is one of a number of pit-bull dog breeds recognised as unsafe and subject to various breeding and ownership restrictions in different parts of the world.
