A five-month-old baby boy was tragically killed by the family’s 130-pound Great Dane-Husky mix while his mother was out celebrating her 21st birthday.
The infant, Carter, was being looked after by relatives in Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Florida, when the fatal incident occurred. According to authorities, Carter was left in a bedroom by his great-grandmother and great-aunt, who stepped away briefly to make toast. During that time, the family had unlocked a cage, allowing their three dogs to roam freely in the home.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood reported that the great-grandmother later noticed the bedroom door was open. Carter was found bleeding and unresponsive, having been attacked by the dog.
Disturbing details from the 911 call, obtained by WESH-TV, captured the desperate moments that followed. “Is there any puncture?” the dispatcher asked. “Yes. Yes. He’s bleeding,” the caller responded. The dispatcher instructed, “Okay, can we take a dry cloth and apply pressure over it?”
Deputies who arrived on the scene found the dog sitting next to Carter. The infant was rushed to a hospital in Daytona Beach but, despite the efforts of medical staff, could not be saved.
The dog was quarantined, and the family was issued a notice designating it as “dangerous.” It has since been euthanized.
Sheriff Chitwood called the incident heartbreaking: “This was supposed to be a great night, and now I just can’t imagine how anyone in this family feels. You have a young mother who will remember on her birthday that her child is dead.”
Randa Matusiak, Volusia County’s director of public protection, urged pet owners to be aware of their animals’ behavior and emphasized the importance of caution in households with pets and small children.
Law enforcement confirmed they are investigating whether negligence played a role in Carter’s death.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that between 2011 and 2021, an average of 43 people per year died from dog attacks. From 2017 to 2021, women accounted for a higher percentage of those fatalities than men.
Last month, the U.S. Sun reported the tragic case of one-year-old Blakely Blosser, who was also fatally attacked by her family’s dog.
In another incident, Fran Williams suffered serious injuries after being mauled by two dogs while delivering food to a neighbor. “I was screaming for help,” she told The Daytona News Journal. “I really felt like I was going to die.”
In June, Angelina Williams was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for allowing her pit bull to fatally attack her six-year-old son.
