HAMPTON, Va. — Authorities are investigating after a reported dog attack claimed the life of a baby early Monday morning.
Hampton police were called around 3:15 a.m. to respond to a report of “a vicious canine that had killed an infant” in the first block of Scotland Road, officials said. Responding officers found a “small infant that had sustained injuries consistent with a canine attack,” according to the Hampton Police Division.
The infant’s parents said they were sleeping in their bed with the child when “a large amount of motion” woke them, investigators said. The child’s father told police that when he woke, he saw “extensive injuries to the child” and immediately euthanized the dog.
Police found the canine, a mixed-breed German Shepherd, dead in the family’s backyard. The victim’s parents told police that the dog had not previously been aggressive.
Police said the parents are cooperating with the investigation, which is ongoing.