Family dog kills one-year-old boyLast Updated: Saturday, 29 December 2007, 15:44 GMT
Archie-Lee Hirst died from multiple injuriesA one-year-old boy has died after being attacked by a pet
rottweiler at his grandparents' home, police have said.
Archie-Lee Andrew Hirst was snatched from his seven-year-old
aunt's arms in the yard of the house in Chald Lane, Wakefield,
West Yorkshire, on Friday.
He was taken to hospital with serious injuries but died later.
The dog was shot at the scene by a police marksman. It was
destroyed to ensure the safety of others at the address, a
police spokesman said.
The boy's family, including his teenage mother, are now
receiving support from specially-trained officers, he said.
Det Supt Steve Payne, from West Yorkshire Police, said the
boy was staying with his grandparents during the Christmas
holidays.
He said: "What we know at this time is that the dog was a
family pet, a two-and-a-half year old female rottweiler, which
the family had owned for about six months.
"Although the dog lived in the yard of the premises, it had
interacted with members of the family including children, and
another dog and cat at the house, and had shown no previous
signs of any aggression."
Mr Payne said the boy's aunt, aged 16, was caring for him and
her two sisters, aged six and seven, in the house.
The 16-year-old girl was upstairs when the seven-year-old
carried the baby outside to stroke the dog.
Mr Payne said: "Without any warning, the dog snatched the
baby from the youngster's arms and carried him into the yard."
He said the 16-year-old tried to rescue the baby but was
unable to do so, despite striking the dog several times.
Paramedics and police arrived within six minutes following an
emergency call to police at 1530 GMT, he said.
The baby was taken to Pinderfields General Infirmary where he
was pronounced dead.
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