A newborn baby who was left in a critical condition after being savagely mauled by a dog has died in hospital.
The baby – believed to have been just one-day-old – was rushed to hospital after being attacked by the animal at a home in the Hamilton suburb of Enderley on New Zealand’s north island on Sunday night.
A New Zealand Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the newborn died overnight on Monday.
A newborn baby attacked by a dog in Enderley (pictured), eastern Hamilton on New Zealand’s north island has died in hospital
‘The matter will be referred to the coroner,’ the spokeswoman said.
The infant was rushed by St Johns Ambulance to the city’s Waikato Hospital at 7pm on Sunday night after being bitten by the dog, police said.
Hospital staff had been treating the newborn at the facility’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Police could not confirm the gender of the baby or the breed of the dog.
The dog was seized and secured at the Hamilton City Council animal control facility.
The dog has been seized and is being held at Hamilton City Council animal control facility. The council said the ongoing police investigation will decide what happens to the animal (stock image)
Hamilton City Council animal control manager Susan Stanford said a decision on the future of the animal had not yet been made.
‘Staff collected the dog and it is now secured at the council’s animal control facility,’ she said.
‘Further decisions regarding the animal will be informed by the ongoing police investigation.
The infant was rushed by St Johns Ambulance to the city’s Waikato Hospital (pictured) about 7pm on Sunday night
‘This is a traumatic time for all involved and our thoughts are with the families and individuals involved.’
Data obtained by the New Zealand Ministry of Health found there were 4,958 dog attacks that required hospitalisation between 2004 and 2014.
The research found most attacks happen at home, with children under 10 years old most vulnerable.
