Baby girl mauled to death by pet dog Zeus as ‘horrified parents desperately tried to pull raging animal off her’

According to an inquiry, a baby girl was mauled to death by her pet dog while her parents were frantically trying to remove the animal off her.

At home in Coventry, Elle Doherty was bitten by Zeus, a Belgian Malinois, resulting in a “catastrophic” brain injury.

The seven-month-old was sitting and staring out of a window when the 31-kg dog attacked, according to testimony given at an inquest.

Her parents, Sean and Natasha Doherty, were seen hurrying over to take the three-year-old pet away in CCTV stills that were presented to the court.

Then, during the less than one-second onslaught, the couple was observed holding and shielding their daughter.

“From what you can see in the video, it looks like baby Elle may have been leaning a little on Zeus, and that’s when Zeus attacked her,” Detective Inspector Anthony Hibbert stated.

Sadly, baby Ellie could not be saved and passed away shortly after being taken to the hospital.

Dad Sean described how the family purchased Zeus as a puppy from a Gloucester breeder in October 2020 in a statement that was turned in to the court.

He claimed that first he believed the dog, who had previously received training from two other specialists, had “pinned” down a 15-year-old French bulldog, the second family pet.

The father continued, recalling the assault: “Natasha yelled, ‘No,’ in the middle of our conversation. I believe it was his collar that I grabbed Zeus.

“I tossed him out.” Elle was sobbing on the ground. It all happened so fast.

According to the father, Zeus was “good around people, good around other dogs” during the inquest.

He asserted that the pet “never showed any signs of aggression” and that the only thing he didn’t enjoy was being “surprised by another dog”.

Mother Natasha echoed his remarks, stating that Zeus had never truly demonstrated “any interest” in Elle.

The dog was identified by the police as a Belgian Malinois, a kind of Belgian Shepherd that is not considered dangerous.

After being taken from the house, the animal was mercifully put down.

At the time, officers declared themselves “satisfied” that no crime had been committed.

“Sudden and unanticipated” is how Coroner Delroy Henry characterized the attack in his narrative conclusion.

“The dog hasn’t acted aggressively toward baby Elle or any of the people living in that house,” he stated. He felt baby Elle’s touch. I can confirm that the dog bit baby Elle’s head.

“Unfortunately, baby Elle passed away later that day. The sudden and unexpected behavior of a huge dog in a family house was the cause of baby Elle’s death.

“This is undoubtedly a horrible event that permanently altered a family. Other than to reiterate that my thoughts and prayers are with Elle’s parents and family, I don’t think there are any words I could offer to comfort them.”

Note: Thank you for visiting our website! We strive to keep you informed with the latest updates based on expected timelines, although please note that we are not affiliated with any official bodies. Our team is committed to ensuring accuracy and transparency in our reporting, verifying all information before publication. We aim to bring you reliable news, and if you have any questions or concerns about our content, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!