5-Month-Old Baby, Toddler Die After Being Mauled By Family Dogs, Mother Critical

Two children died Wednesday after being viciously attacked by their family's dogs in Shelby County, Tennessee.

The mother of the 2-year-old girl and 5-month-old boy was also injured in the incident.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office said the attack took place inside a home on Sylvan Road near Shelby Forest State Park. While the children died at the scene, the mother was rushed to Regional One Hospital in critical condition.

Authorities said the attack was under investigation. It remains unclear if anyone will be charged in the incident, Local Memphis reported.

Shelby County Sheriff Public Information Officer John Morris said the two dogs involved in the incident appeared to be pit bulls, according to WREG. The canines were taken away by animal control, authorities said. The fate of the dogs was not known.

Other details including the identities of the victims are yet to be made public. It remains unclear if it was an unprovoked attack.

According to Colorado Injury Law, there are more than 89 million dogs and 4.5 million dog bites that occur each year in the United States. Of these, at least half the dog bites are on children, with the injuries ranging minor to life-threatening.

Pit bulls are responsible for the most fatal attacks. From 2010 to June 2021, there were 430 fatal dog bites, with 185 of those involving pit bulls

Last month in Colorado, an 89-year-old woman died from injuries she sustained when two pit bulls attacked her and her 12-year-old grandson. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found an injured child, who had managed to escape to a neighbor's house. The child was found with blood stains. When the officers checked the backyard, they found two pit bulls viciously mauling the unidentified grandmother.

The police had to use tasers and less-lethal shotguns in a bid to separate the dogs from the victim. However, they failed. Later, they managed to get the dogs off the woman with the help of an additional force that arrived at the scene. Following the attack, the woman and her grandson were rushed to a hospital. One of the dogs also sustained injuries and was euthanized soon after the attack. The second pit bull was sent to a veterinary hospital and was euthanized after evaluation.