Family dogs seized after five-week-old baby dies from head injuries
The girl was rushed to hospital but died shortly after, succumbing to serious head injuries.
A five-week-old baby has died after an apparent dog attack at a home on the NSW Far South Coast.
The infant suffered head injuries on Saturday night and was rushed from her home in Moruya – 300km south of Sydney – to Moruya Hospital at about 10.40pm.
Police attended the hospital but just after midnight, the little girl succumbed to her injuries.
Rangers from Eurobodalla Shire Council have seized two rottweiler-type dogs from the family’s home, police confirmed to Yahoo.
NSW Ambulance paramedics were on their way to the home before learning the family had taken the girl to hospital in a private car, the ABC reported. Investigations are continuing.
Rottweilers involved in more than 150 attacks over 12 months
The child’s death comes three months after a two-year-old boy was fatally mauled by two dogs – including a rottweiler – at a motel in Cowra, in central west NSW.
In the most recent 12 months of available data (from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022), there were 4549 dog attacks in NSW, with 153 of those involving a rottweiler.
American staffordshire terriers and bull terriers were consistently the top two breeds involved in attacks – though experts remain divided on whether a dog's breed plays a part in aggression.
Most animal behaviouralists argue banning specific breeds does not improve public safety, however many jurisdictions, including NSW, maintain the practice helps prevent dog attacks.
"Councils have a range of powers to reduce the risk of dog attacks, including the ability to classify certain dogs as restricted, dangerous or menacing," a NSW Office of Local Government spokesperson said.
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