An ‘aggressive’ sausage dog has killed a newborn baby after vets ignored the concerns of the child’s parents and refused to euthanise the animal.
The dachshund jumped into the baby’s crib and silently strangled the tiny child to death with its jaws while her parents slept soundly.
The shocking attack occurred just a month after the family welcomed their second child into their home in the Russian city of Seversk in Siberia.
On the night of March 10 the pet clenched its jaw firmly around the baby’s neck and killed her without barking or growling.
The parents only discovered what had happened the following morning.
According to a family member the parents had seen the canine become more aggressive since they welcomed their second child into the family.
This led them to try and get the dog euthanised, but vets refused because the animal was healthy.
Fearing a possible attack, the parents decided to keep the dog on a leash during the night.
A dachshund (file image) similar to the pet in question
Despite their cute appearance, dachshunds have traditionally been used as hunting dogs and have been trained for generations to smell, chase and flush out badgers and other animals that live in burrows (file image)
However, on that night, the father forgot to tie it up for the night.
Speaking to local media, the family member said: ‘The baby’s mother blames herself. But it was a tragic accident.
‘It was the middle of the night. The girl was sleeping, and everyone else too, the dog strangled her very quietly.
‘This dachshund that lived with them, an eight-year-old dog. It behaved aggressively towards adult owners.
‘And when the second child was born in the family in February, the aggression only increased.
‘The parents understood the danger, decided on euthanasia. And they brought the dog to several clinics, but they were refused, because the animal was physically absolutely healthy.’
The dog has now reportedly been euthanised.
The Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Tomsk Region said in a statement: ‘The daughter’s body was discovered in the morning by her mother.’
Despite their cute appearance, dachshunds have traditionally been used as hunting dogs and have been trained for generations to smell, chase and flush out badgers and other animals that live in burrows.
Investigators are looking into the circumstances of the baby’s death and have initiated a criminal case for ‘causing death by negligence’.
The investigation is ongoing.
