At her Coventry, West Midlands, home, Elle Doherty, a seven-month-old baby, was killed by her family’s Belgian Malinois pet.
The baby had severe head injuries as a result of the Sunday afternoon incident. Paramedics came within minutes, but they could not save her life. Later that day, the dog was taken out of the house and destroyed.
Elle was first attended to by West Midlands Police, who arrived at the scene first. The police assessed that no crime had occurred, and no one had been taken into custody.
The police have kept Elle’s family abreast of the investigation and have created a dossier for the coroner.
A neighbor said that the baby was the family’s only child. She said they were a lovely family and kept to themselves. Another said he was not aware of the incident until he saw it on the news.
One of the four breeds of Belgian Shepherds recognized for their intelligence, energy, and owner loyalty is the Belgian Malinois. According to a representative for the West Midlands Ambulance Service, at 3:01 PM on Sunday, they were dispatched to a medical emergency at a private residence on Shorncliffe Road in Coventry. Upon arrival, the teams discovered a female victim, a youngster, who was transported by land ambulance to the hospital.
In the last two years, the number of deadly dog attacks has increased to an all-time high—16 deaths were reported in 2023, compared to six in 2022. More people have died this year than last.
Two dogs in Jaywick, Essex, mauled a 39-year-old grandmother to death, while a lady in her 50s died in Hornchurch after being attacked by her two registered XL Bully dogs. XL Bully dogs require registration in order to have them as pets. The previous administration modified the Dangerous Dogs Attack law to outlaw XL Bully dogs, subject to requirements like wearing a muzzle in public and obtaining insurance.