A 12-day-old baby was mauled to death by a dog in Preble County, Ohio, on Wednesday, Dec. 17
According to an autopsy, the infant was “bitten several times” after falling from a bassinet
The incident occurred just days before the new “Avery’s Law” was passed against vicious dogs in Ohio
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A 12-day-old baby boy is dead after being attacked by a dog at a family home in Ohio.
Shortly after 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Dec. 17, police and paramedics were alerted to a baby who was unresponsive at a home on Camden West Elkton Road in Preble County, Cleveland 19 News reported.
An autopsy carried out by the Montgomery County coroner’s office a day later revealed that the infant had been knocked out of a bassinet before being bitten by a dog “several times,” per Dayton 247 Now.
In a 911 call obtained by the outlet, a family member can be heard telling dispatchers that the baby had fallen from the bassinet.
“My emergency is my baby tipped over and bashed his head in,” the 911 caller said, clarifying, “The bassinet.”
Dispatchers helped the 911 caller give CPR to the baby until the paramedics arrived, but the infant died at the scene, per Cleveland 19 News.
“The child was bitten by a dog that was in the house. It’s a tragic, tragic event for this family,” Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson said, per WHIO. “We believe that the dog likely tipped the bassinet over and then had access to the child.”
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Simpson didn’t reveal the dog’s breed, but said the canine was a medium-to-large size.
Amid an ongoing investigation into the incident, the dog has been quarantined.
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The infant has not been publicly identified and investigators believe his death was accidental, per WHIO.
“It’s tragic, and our hearts go out the parents and the family involved in this,” Simpson said, per Dayton 247 Now. “With any death is tough, but when it’s a child — especially when it’s a small child — that makes it tougher.”
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The incident came just days before House Bill 247 passed, strengthening Ohio’s dog laws. The bill, also known as “Avery’s Law,” ensures that owners receive criminal penalties for being negligent and also approves euthanasia for dogs that kill or seriously injure people after due process, per Cleveland 19 News.
The law was named after 12-year-old Avery Russell, who was attacked by two pit bulls in 2024. The bill will take effect in 2026.
PEOPLE has contacted the Preble County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
