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WARNING: Distressing details
A 5-week-old baby was taken from his sleeping mother’s arms and mauled to death by the family’s dog in one of seven fatal dog attacks investigated by a coronial inquest.
An inquest conducted at the NSW Coroner’s Court was told about the deadly incident, which occurred on the NSW Central Coast in July 2021.
The court was told the newborn baby, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was being held by his mother when she dozed off in a rocking chair.
When the woman woke, she realised the baby was no longer in her arms and discovered he was on the floor of his bedroom.
The father told police he woke up to his partner holding the newborn and crying: “The dog’s got the baby.”
The baby suffered puncture wounds and could not be revived.
Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes concluded on Friday that his “tragic and untimely death” was caused by injuries sustained during the attack by the family pet.
The family’s American Staffordshire terrier was euthanised. He was initially recorded as a pit bull terrier breed in his death certificate, but it was later amended after information from the local council.
“I’ve become satisfied that not only have there been a concerning number of dog attacks on people in NSW over the past 15 years, but most of the attacks have been on children in their homes,” she said.
“Infants or children are at greater risk because of their size and vulnerability and potentially because of their behaviour around dogs.”
The Central Coast council had campaigned to declare the American Staffordshire terrier a dangerous and restricted breed just a few months before the 5-week-old baby was mauled to death.
Forbes concluded the regulatory regimen for companion animals was “not effective at minimising the risk of fatal dog attacks”.
She made a suite of recommendations, including that the Office of Local Government and Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig consider requiring pet owners to hold a licence and receive training before obtaining a dog.
Forbes also suggested they should assess whether further conditions should be imposed on people who want to own dog breeds such as pit bulls or American staffies that have been well-represented in dog attacks.
Veterinarian and ethologist Paul McGreevy told the inquest the two breeds were similar in temperament and in their propensity “for initiating acts of aggression”.
“A dog that is the descendant of dogs that have been selected purely for biting will not stand around and do the maths,” he said.
“It’s very important the court understand impulsivity is a trait that will increase the risk of injuries and death.”
Professor McGreevy noted toddlers were “particularly at risk” if they crawled around the house.
The inquest was told the 5-week-old baby’s death came only a month after the family’s American Staffordshire terrier had fatally mauled the neighbour’s dog.
A local council officer issued a notice of intention to compel the dog’s owners to have its breed assessed and declared, but the process was ongoing when the baby was killed.
Forbes examined issues such as dog breed identification, the effectiveness of restricting breeds and local council responses to dog attacks.
She suggested the authorities examine the efficacy of the current penalties and endorsed a recommendation she made in another inquest there be a standalone offence for dog attacks resulting in serious injury or death.
The inquest was told the Central Coast council reported having the highest number of dog attacks in NSW, a quarter of which were attributed to American staffies.
Just a few months before the 5-week-old baby was mauled to death, the council had campaigned to declare the breed a dangerous and restricted breed.
The Office of Local Government is this year conducting a review of the Companion Animals Act and has pledged to take into consideration all of the issues raised in the inquest.
