MARTINEZ, Ga. (AP) — A seven-month-old infant died Tuesday after being attacked by a family dog in suburban Augusta.
The attack happened around noon at a home in the City of Martinez, the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office said.
The infant, Serenity Garnett, was being watched by her great-grandmother when the American Bulldog Great Pyrenees mix attacked them, news outlets reported. Both the child and the woman were taken to AU Medical Center for treatment.
Columbia County Deputy Coroner Martha Lappe said the child died from her injuries, WJBF-TV reported.
The great-grandmother’s injuries were not life-threatening, sheriff’s Maj. Steve Morris said.
What exactly happened to trigger the attack remains under investigation, he said.
Neighbors told the television station that the dog appeared hard to control.
“She didn’t have the strength to deal with that dog,” Stephen Fox said of the woman with the infant. “ ... When he got out occasionally it was very hard to get back.”
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said the dog was quarantined for rabies testing, but that there was no immediate infectious disease concern.
A GoFundMe has since been launched.
