Dog lying in bed with couple, kills their newborn baby in apparent accident

On Friday, the American Staffordshire terrier-Great Dane mix was lying in bed with a San Diego couple and their 3-day-old infant boy when it was startled by the mother and it bit the child to death, police said. They’re watching television at the time with their 97-pound (44-kg) dog.

The mom coughed unexpectedly and it startled the dog, which bit the baby, causing traumatic injury. The parents were able to separate it from the baby and they rushed him to the hospital where he later died. The police called the death a “tragic accident.”

The dog was taken into custody by San Diego County Animal Services. Any dog that bites a person is placed in quarantine by animal control. The family can direct animal control to euthanize the dog or they can claim the dog at the end of a 10-day quarantine.