Police in Alabama made a tragic announcement Friday after a 3-month-old baby died in a horrific accident. The unidentified baby boy was killed by the family's pet, a wolf-hybrid dog. The parents, who were not named, reportedly attempted to stop the attack, but it was too late.
The infant's death is under investigation, but according to officials, owning an exotic animal is not illegal in Alabama. Nevertheless, a vet euthanized the animal at the scene at the request of law enforcement.
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The incident occurred Thursday afternoon.
Sheriff's deputies arrived at a home near County Road 440 in Chelsea after a 911 call about an animal attacking a resident, per a news release from the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. In addition to sheriff's deputies, Chelsea firefighters and Shelby County Animal Control responded to the call. According to WBRC, the infant was taken to Grandview Medical Center and pronounced dead from injuries received in the attack.
The animal reportedly picked up the infant.
The infant was on the floor when the wolf-hybrid picked him up and began to play with him, WBRC reported. The situation allegedly got out of control, and the animal started biting the baby. The parents repeatedly tried to get the infant away from the animal, but their 3-month-old was killed during the struggle.
The mayor called the accident 'unthinkable.'
Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer confirmed in a statement on the City of Chelsea, Alabama, Facebook page that the child had died.
"It's been confirmed that one of our children here in Chelsea was killed by an exotic family pet and succumbed to their injuries yesterday afternoon after being taken to the hospital by Chelsea Fire & Rescue. We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate and tragic event," the release explained. "We lift up the family and all those affected with our deepest prayers and thoughts. No further details are available at this time."
Picklesimer told WBRC, it's “just unthinkable that this could happen to this baby. If you choose to own an exotic pet, what comes with that is additional responsibility to be sure that not only your family is safe, but your neighbors are safe.”
Having this kind of animal in the home is apparently not illegal.
Amy Byrd, a wolf-hybrid expert, told WBRC that owning the animal as a pet is not against the law, but that it is dangerous. She told the news station that it would take extensive DNA research to determine what kind of lineage the dog had, but she believes that only a small number of wolf hybrids live in Alabama. She said the animals often end up in homes with people who do not necessarily know how to handle them properly.
"When you mix that with an ancient breed like a wolf dog, you have an animal with extreme intelligence, a lot of athletic ability and the tendency to want to escape," she said.
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The tragedy has caused ire within the community.
Concerned residents took to the comment section on Facebook to share their thoughts on the sad death.
A woman wrote on the city of Chelsea's Facebook page, "I've taken in many abused rescue [wolf-dogs] for thirty years. Had all my babies in between. All their friends. Family. Neighbors. NEVER EVER had an incident. This WAS the parents fault."
Neighbors were shocked.
"This is horrible. Right up the street from me, I had no idea someone had a wolf, that's terrifying," one person wrote. "I wish city ordinances included registering pets, at least to prove vaccination, that would cut down on a lot of people just having pets that they shouldn't. I mean can you just own a wild animal and have it vaccinated?"
Many people expressed prayers.
"Prayers for this family. This is a horrible incident that should not have happened," one comment reads.
Per the sheriff's office, the incident is under investigation. At this time, no charges have been filed.
