German Shepherd
Dogs can sniff out lung cancer in early stage: study REUTERS/John Vizcaino

A Texas family's dog has been quarantined after it mauled their 2-week-old baby on Saturday.

The baby was rushed to Houston's Memorial Hermann Hospital and died early Sunday morning, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The family has not been identified by authorities, although the Houston Chronicle spoke with a neighbor.

It's terrible and unexpected, neighbor Kevin Patcha said. I can't think of anything that would have led to this incident.

The baby was in an infant carrier indoors and its mother was outside, watching the baby through a window, according to a spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff's Office. The dog was secluded in another room but pushed the doors open and went over to the baby and started to sniff it. Then it mauled the baby.

The dog is a Labrador mix, the Associated Press reported.

Family members pulled the dog off of the baby and put it in a kennel, the Houston Chronicle reported. The dog's fate is yet to be determined.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs every year, and males are more likely to be bitten than females. Dog bite-related injuries are highest for five to nine-year-old children.

Children are also more likely to receive medical attention for dog bites than adults, the CDC reports.