Infant's death was an accident

LEAVITTSBURG — The Trumbull County coroner’s office has ruled that the death of a three-day old baby, who was attacked by the family dog in its bed Monday morning, was an accident.

But Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk, the county’s forensic patholist, who conducted the autopsy on the infant, said the death reinforces the need for people to understand that dogs are not people.

“An animal cannot tell the difference between a plaything and a human being,” Dr. Germaniuk said, adding that dogs are “guided by instinct” and are sometimes territorial.

The baby had only been home from the hospital one day when the family dog, a Siberian Husky, attacked the baby while it was in its baby bed in the parents’ bedroom, police said.

The baby’s mother had fed the baby, leaving the child in its bed, and had gone to the kitchen to make the family its breakfast.

At about 10 a.m., she and her husband realized that the Husky had the baby in its mouth in the family room.

The dog complied when ordered to let go of the baby, but the child had suffered multiple blunt force and sharp force injuries and was pronounced dead at Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital at about 10:45 a.m.

Warren Township Police have not completed their investigation, Lt. Don Bishop said this morning.