A panicked mum let out a desperate plea after her six-month-old baby was mauled to death by a pit bull. Kyomi Temple died after being savaged by the family’s male pit bull mix at their flat in Houston, Texas on April 1.
Paramedics raced to the scene and took the tiny girl to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. According to police, the one-year-old dog had only recently been introduced to the home. Animal control confiscated two dogs from the property, while another dog, also a pit bull mix, was in a kennel at the time of the attack.
One neighbour claimed Kyomi’s mother frantically knocked on their door in the aftermath of the accident while holding her injured baby. They told local news station KHOU-11: “She just had the baby in her hands saying, ‘God I trust you, God I trust you, God’.
Another local resident told KPRC that the baby had a “wound on the top of the head” and was a “greyish” colour, adding that the mother appeared to think her baby was still alive when she was handed over to paramedics.
Baytown city’s public information officer, Jason Calder, said the dog that attacked the child is now due to be euthanised, while the fate of the second dog is “up to the owner”.
The family have since set up a GoFundMe page to help pay towards funeral expenses and make up for time off work. A message on the page reads: “It is with a heavy heart we share the devastating loss of our precious Kyomi Temple, who was taken away too soon at just 6 months old.
“As we grieve, we are faced with unexpected funeral expenses and time away from work as we mourn. We are humbly asking for any support you can offer—whether through a donation or simply sharing this fundraiser.”
The page has so far raised over $3,225 (£2,500) of a $5,000 (£3,800) target.
Baytown Police Department has launched an investigation into the incident, and no arrests have been made.
The latest incident takes the total number of people killed in fatal dog attacks in the US so far this year to 21, with 19 of these incidents involving pit bulls.
Last month, a six-month-old girl died after being mauled by a dog in Alabaster, Alabama.
Ember Southard had been dropped off by at a relative’s house by her mother on March 14, where was she was later attacked by one of two dogs. Police said they had not determined which of the dogs – a pit bull mix and Rottweiler – had been responsible.
The baby was found unresponsive with serious injuries, and was taken to Children’s Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
In a post on Facebook, Ember’s mum Anna wrote: “I will never forget my daughter’s face. The people telling me she would be okay. I knew she wouldn’t be okay the moment I saw her.
“A parent should never have to clean blood off their child. Never. It’s a horrible feeling holding your baby, knowing they’ll never smile at you again.
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