After further investigation, New York City medical examiners say that a newborn didn’t die because she was bitten by the family puppy. The mother of newborn Kiyanna Winfield woke up to find the family’s 6-week-old puppy biting her daughter’s face. Naturally, authorities assumed that the baby had died as a result. But now that they have had the opportunity to run tests on the baby’s body, it appears she was already dead. The puppy still remains in custody of animal services as the investigation continues.
According to medical examiners, Kiyanna Winfield died of unknown causes before the puppy got to her. “The cause and manner of death are pending further study following the examination today,” a spokesperson said in an email shared by the New York Post. “But we can confirm this is not a death from a dog mauling. The injuries inflicted by the dog were postmortem.”
The pit bull/German shepard mix bit off a “substantial portion” of the newborn’s face after her death. According to the spokesperson, the cause of death is “pending further study to include a full pediatric workup.”
Police officers took the puppy to an Animal Care Centers of NYC shelter. It was put on a 10-day rabies observation, the New York Daily News reported.
Around 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, the baby’s mother called 911 after waking to see the puppy biting her daughter’s face. The mom and her boyfriend were allegedly sleeping in the same bed as the newborn. The baby, who was born on April 13, was pronounced dead at the scene.
One neighbor spoke with the New York Post, telling the outlet she had previously warned the mother about the puppy. “I told her, ‘That dog needs to be on a leash,'” the woman, Shanel Norville, said. “She said, ‘No, this dog don’t bite.’ I said, ‘All dogs bite.'”
Police are still investigating the incident. Currently, no charges have been filed.
