Six-day-old baby girl Eliza-Mae Mullane killed by dog bite, inquest told

A six-day-old baby girl was killed when her family’s pet dog pulled her from her pram and bit her at home, an inquest has heard.

Eliza-Mae Mullane, from Carmarthenshire, Wales, was flown by air ambulance to hospital in Cardiff but doctors were unable to save her following the attack in February.

Ruling that the death was accidental, a coroner said she died as result of serious head injuries and internal bleeding.

Eliza-Mae had been left sleeping in her pram in the living room while her mother Sharon John put her son in a taxi for school, the inquest was told.

Upon returning to the house, Ms John found Eliza-Mae on the floor. The dog had pushed its way into the room.

The animal had not shown any signs of aggression previously, the hearing was told. Coroner Mark Layton said: “Eliza's mother could not have possibly foreseen this happening.”

A statement from Eliza-Mae's father Patrick Mullane said: “I hope Sharon, the children and I can move on from this sadness and recall with joy the short time we spent with Eliza-Mae.

“I hope this inquest will raise public awareness of the potential dangers family dogs can present to very young children.”