Baby boy was mauled to death by family dog, police say

A baby boy who died in a dog attack was mauled to death by a family pet, police have said.

Emergency services were called to an address in Crossway, Rogiet, at 6pm on Sunday following a report of a dog attack.

A nine-month-old baby was pronounced dead at the scene.

No arrests have been made in connection with the incident and enquiries are ongoing to establish the breed of dog involved.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Assistant Chief Constable Vicki Townsend said: “The first thing I’d like to do is to offer my condolences on behalf of the Gwent Police to the family and all of those that have been impacted by the real tragic incident that happened yesterday, which has resulted in the loss of a life of a nine-month-old little boy.

“We know that this will have impacted on everybody within the community and we understand the effect that can have on people.

“Our officers attended a report of an attack by a family dog in an address in Crossway, Rogiet, at around 6pm on Sunday, November 2.

“A nine-month-old baby boy was pronounced dead at the scene by personnel from the Welsh Ambulance Service.

“The family of the child have been supported by dedicated officers.

“The dog was sedated and removed from the property and taken to a vet, where it was put down.

“We are in the very early stages of this investigation, and officers have continued to carry out various lines of enquiry to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.

“Enquiry is still ongoing to establish the breed of the dog.

“It is important that we’re certain of the breed, and we will release information once it has been formally confirmed.

“No arrests have been made at this time.

“We understand that an incident like this can have an impact on our communities, but we urge people not to speculate and to consider the impact that speculation can have on the family and the friends of the family.

“If you have any information at all, or you have any concerns, please contact us.”