A three-week-old boy has died after being bitten by his father’s pet terrier. The baby, named as Reggie Blacklin, was bitten by the dog at his home in Sunderland in the early hours yesterday. He was taken to hospital, where he later died, and police have arrested a 30-year-old man.
The dog is likely to be destroyed according to Northumbria Police. The baby’s parents, Maria Blacklin and her partner Ryan Young, live in a semi-detached home in a suburb of the city and are understood to have four other young children.
A family member, who did not want to be identified, said Maria was not in the house when Reggie was attacked, but that she never left her son alone with the dog, which he described as ‘good-natured’. He said Maria had been at a family event following a bereavement, and had returned late at night to find the distressing scene.
Superintendent Gillian Mitchell, of Northumbria Police, said: ‘At approximately 4.15 this morning we received a call to say that a small child had received a dog bite. ‘Paramedics were called. Unfortunately, despite all their efforts, the child has died.