Dog who killed Davisburg baby to be euthanized today

MICHIGAN -- The Catahoula cattle hound that attacked and killed a 10-week-old boy on Sunday was euthanized Wednesday morning, according to Bob Gatt, manager of Oakland County Animal Control & Pet Adoption Center.

William Garrison of Davisburg, the son of Jeff and Tiffany Garrison, died Sunday morning after the family’s dog bit the baby’s head and throat.

The infant was sitting on his uncle’s lap when the dog tried to jump onto the couch. The boy’s uncle, 18, pushed the dog away, but the dog jumped back up and began biting the baby. The boy’s father, 26, pried the dog’s jaw open, injuring his hand to free the baby, but the boy died after being transported to two different hospitals.

Apparently, after the Springfield Twp. Fire Department arrived at the scene, the boy was taken to Genesys Regional Medical Center in Grand Blanc Twp. At that point, the ER physician determined the baby needed to be airlifted to William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak due to the extent of his injuries. But the baby died at Beaumont.

The dog’s body will be shipped to Lansing to be tested for rabies, although Gatt said the dog had a current vaccination at the time of the attack. The testing normally takes two to four weeks, he said.

The funeral service for William Garrison will be at 1 p.m. Friday, June 13, at Coats Funeral Home in Clarkston.

(The Oakland Press - June 12, 2014)

Earlier:

• Family dog kills baby in Metro Detroit