A 6-month-old girl was attacked and killed by a dog while with her great-grandparents in Alabaster last week.
Family members said the baby was being cared for by a great-grandparent, who was holding baby Ember, who fell asleep in their arms. The adult fell asleep, and at some point, the baby rolled and fell. When the baby cried, apparently their pet, a pit bull, attacked, as reported by WVTM-13.
Ember was taken from the home on 10th Street Southwest to Children's of Alabama Hospital, where she later died.
Dog trainer Jimmie Lee told the news outlet she didn't know the family, but what happened broke her heart. She's hoping other parents and grandparents can learn how to bring dogs and young children safely together from this tragedy.
"It's just gut-wrenching to think that this happened because it is preventable." Lee said. "You know, take your time, take it so slow so that the dog, by the time the dog is used to the baby, it's been months."
Lee said anytime a child is in the vicinity of a dog, even a pet you believe would never become violent, there should be an adult between baby and dog. She said that becomes even more important with some dog breeds like pit bulls.
"They were bred to kill another dog. Now, does it mean all of them are like that? But we have to be aware that any dog can do that. Any dog, you know, it can be a Chihuahua, it can be any dog because they have teeth, and they will bite. So, it's up to us to manage our environment, to keep the dog and baby separate."
Ember's family wants to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. They said to follow safe sleep rules and keep pets away from babies. They are asking for prayers as they plan for the funeral.
Police said the family's two dogs were taken to a veterinarian's office for quarantine. They were not certain which of the dogs, or if both, were involved in the attack, or if they had been euthanized.
There have been no charges filed. All evidence and information will be given to the Shelby County District Attorney's Office.
