It might sound patronising but never ever leave your baby or small child alone with a dog. No matter how docile they are around you or your family, their behaviour can change in a split second and that is all it takes for the worst to happen. Let’s not forget dogs are animals and have animal instincts. When it comes to dogs and babies, I have one prime directive above every other. Never leave your child alone with your dog. I don’t care how good you think your dog is. In situations like this neither dog nor child is trustworthy so both need supervision or separation.
This 21-year-old woman, Chloe, has been charged with neglect after a pit bull puppy gnawed at a baby’s hand when she left her alone with the animal to take a shower, resulting in the girl losing several fingers. She reportedly told investigators she was feeling ill and put the little girl in her bassinet before heading to the bathroom, WBBH reported. Chloe said she turned on the shower and turned it back off again when she heard the baby girl scream. According to the police report, she found the 3-month-old pit bull puppy chewing on the baby’s hands. She wrapped the baby’s hands in cloth and called 911.
The police report noted Chloe telling police there was ‘so much blood’ that she couldn’t look at her baby daughter’s fingers. Emergency services took the little girl to hospital and she was flown from there to another hospital. Three of the fingers on the girl’s left hand were fully amputated and two fingers on her right hand were partially amputated. The incident left neighbors startled and in disbelief. ‘You never leave a baby or infant alone with an animal. You just don’t. Thank God the baby’s still alive,’ local woman, Kecia said.
NBC2 reports the three-month-old puppy that was just brought into the home less than 24 hours earlier after Chloe coming across a post for the dog on Facebook. On Friday, June 16, 2023, deputies arrested Chloe, charging her with child neglect following a four-month-long investigation. Investigators in bringing charges forward said the mother kept changing stories as to why she left the baby alone with the pit bull. The puppy was quarantined as part of protocol following a bite. The pit bull passed the quarantine and was transferred to the Animal Welfare League. As the baby recovers with family members, Chloe, who posted $7,500 bond on Monday, was granted supervised visitation.