Four-day-old baby girl tragically mauled to death by family dog in Arkansas
CAVE SPRINGS, ARKANSAS: A four-day-old baby in Arkansas was reportedly killed by the family dog, according to Arkansas Police. After the tragic incident, the newborn girl succumbed to injuries and died in Cave Springs on December 14, 2022, just a week before Christmas.
"On Wednesday, December 14th, 2022, at approximately 12:20 PM the Cave Springs Police and Fire Departments responded to a call of a four-day-old female who had been bitten by the family dog, a three-year-old Siberian Husky. The infant suffered severe injuries to her head," said Cave Springs Police Lieutenant Keith Lawson, according to Newsweek.
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"Based on the statements of witnesses and the opinions of medical professionals, it was determined that the fatal injuries were inflicted on the child by the family dog," Lawson added. Cave Springs is situated just 200 miles northwest of Little Rock, the state’s capital.
In accordance with the state law, the three-year-old Siberian Husky dog was euthanized following the tragic incident, reports Fox News. Though the Cave Springs police do not suspect any wrongdoings from any of the family members, a death probe is still underway.
Lieutenant Lawson further said, "The Cave Springs Police Department is currently investigating the death, as is standard procedure in this type of incident," and added that "once the investigation is complete it will be sent to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney so they can make an informed decision if any violations of Arkansas Law were committed." So far, the name of the family members or the deceased newborn is not yet revealed.
According to Newsweek, each year in the US around 4.5 million dog bites occur and half of this estimate accounts for children as victims. Apparently, 430 dog bite deaths were recorded during the period from 2010 to June 2021 in the US. Under this estimate, 430 fatal dog bites were recorded in the US where children of age groups 0 to 4 comprise the biggest percentage of victims, dying from dog bite injuries.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) said that families with dogs need to be extra careful when a newborn baby is brought into a home. The non-profit organization ASPCA suggested that "to make things go as smoothly as possible for everyone, it's important to take some time to prepare your dog for the arrival of your new addition," and clarified the need to ensure supervision of babies and dogs when left alone together.