Mia Riley was mauled to death by two rottweilers at her grandfather's home in NSW. Photo / Facebook
Mia Riley was mauled to death by two rottweilers at her grandfather's home in NSW. Photo / Facebook
WARNING: Graphic and upsetting content.
Two rottweilers who mauled a five-week-old baby girl to death had previously been reported to the council, it has been claimed.
Mia Jade Riley was sleeping in her bassinet outside her grandfather’s home in Moruya, on the New South Wales south coast, when she was suddenly attacked by the two dogs without warning on Saturday night.
Despite the frantic efforts of her family and being rushed to hospital, she could not be saved.
Neighbours have now revealed they reported the dogs, who belong to Mia’s mother’s cousin, to the council over fears they would attack one day.
“We warned them .. we said [to council] they will attack someone one day, they are so loud and intimidating,” one elderly resident told the Daily Telegraph.
Another said: “I know the council went there, maybe six to 12 months ago and spoke to the people [who own the dogs].
“I’m not aware of them ever attacking, but they are just scary to look at and very large, you just worry what they could do if they got out.”
Eurobodalla Shire Council did not comment on claims the dogs were previously reported.
They have been seized and will likely be euthanised.
There’s no suggestion of any wrongdoing by any members of the family and no charges have been laid.
A friend of the family previously told the Daily Mail Australia that the dogs suddenly started mauling the baby “out of nowhere”.
“There were no other kids, the dogs weren’t running around and no-one was provoking the dogs or anything. They weren’t agitated or distressed,” the friend said.
They described the desperate battle to free the little girl from the dogs, with Mia’s parents Tom and Lani Riley frantically trying to tear the dogs away.
“Everyone there had to be involved to get the dogs off,” they said.
“There was a considerable amount of blood. It was terrible.”
Lani and Tom Riley, parents of Mia Jade Riley, who was mauled to death by two rottweilers. Photo / Facebook
Mr Riley is a chiropractor who owns south coast Spine Care, which was closed on Tuesday due to a “death in the family”.
Riley posted on the Facebook page of south coast Spine Care last month about the arrival of his new daughter.
He said he planned to reduce his hours due to the birth to four days a week.
“Well it was a good thing I blocked out work a week earlier that the due date because sure enough Monday night at 6:16pm my little girl was safely delivered at home surrounded by family,” he wrote on January 11.
“Mum and baby are in perfect health.
“I will see you when I return after some much need[ed] family time surrounded by all my beautiful girls”.
The post was accompanied by three images of the family: mum, dads and the kids.
It would be the first and probably only public post showing little Mia Jade.
In another post, Riley said he would be working longer days so “I will no longer be in the clinic on Fridays favouring to stay at home and spend time with my kids”. - news.com.au
