SEMINOLE - A newborn girl was in critical condition Monday after a family dog bit the child and dragged her out of bed as she slept, authorities said.
The baby, identified by Pinellas County sheriff's investigators as 2-week-old Susanna Pound, was taken by helicopter to Bayfront Medical Center, then transferred to All Children's Hospital.
"The baby was picked up by the dog and bit and carried around the house," said Sgt. Tim Goodman, sheriff's spokesman. "The infant received puncture wounds."
Goodman said he did not know whether the injuries were life-threatening.
Investigators blamed the attack on Spirit, a white German shepherd. Animal Control removed Spirit and three other dogs from the home. Spirit will be held at least 10 days pending the investigation.
Paramedics and deputies responded to 9166 Sunrise Drive at 3:31 p.m. Monday after the baby's mother, Melissa Pound, called 911.
The baby was sleeping on a bed in a bedroom while Pound did laundry in another room, sheriff's investigators said. Two other family members - an aunt and grandmother - were home but not near the bedroom. The baby's father and three siblings were not home.
The grandmother, Eleanore Pound, who was in a bedroom at the opposite end of the house, opened her door to a horrific scene.
She "saw Spirit running through the house with the baby in its mouth," said Goodman, the sheriff's spokesman. The dog dropped the baby in the kitchen near the laundry room.
The baby's mother wrapped the child in a towel and called 911.
"Nobody has determined yet how long the baby was alone," Goodman said.
Neighbor Starr Griffith said paramedics were holding the baby's head and called for oxygen as they left the house.
"The baby was crying," Griffith said.
Detectives with the Sheriff's Office crimes against children unit are investigating. No charges were filed Monday.
Animal Control removed Spirit and three other dogs - two Shih Tzus and a brown, mixed-breed German shepherd named Boris - from the house after the attack.
A few neighbors said they did not find Spirit dangerous. But they said Boris chased and bit birds and growled at residents.
The fate of the dogs is unclear.
Dr. Kenny Mitchell, Pinellas County director of veterinarian services, said when a victim sustains severe injuries, Animal Control usually tries to talk the pet owner into putting the dog down to protect the community and other family members.
