Child dies after mauling by family dog

A baby died Thursday night after being mauled by the family dog.

Guthrie Police say they responded to a home on North Ewing Street where they found a 1-year-old boy on the couch, unresponsive, but breathing.

Police say the child had deep abrasions to the head, chest and neck from being mauled by the family dog, a Pit Bull mix.

According to police, the child's great-grandmother also had contusions on her left cheek and arm from trying to pull the dog off the infant, who was on the floor playing with a ball.

"She suffered herself from some very deep cuts and bites and stuff on her cheek and on her left arm," said Chief Dean Blumel, of Guthrie Police. "She was in pretty rough shape. I commend her for reacting the way she did."

Police believe the dog may have been spooked by a thunderstorm and reacted to the ball when returning inside.

"It's a family dog. The grandfather told me that it normally is playing with the kid and interacting with the kid very calmly, so we just feel that it was just an unfortunate freak accident," said Blumel.

The child and grandmother were taken to Tennova Medical Center, but the child died from his injuries. The grandmother was treated and released.

The dog was signed off to Animal Control and was euthanized.

No charges are being filed against the family. Police say they're trying to let the family have room to mourn.