Harry Harper lost his life following a single dog bite

Nov 21, 2012 14:56 GMT  ·  By

Eight-day-old Harry Harper suffered a fatal dog bite while staying at his grandparents’ house in Ketley, Telford, Shropshire, in the UK.

Harry was bitten on Tuesday, November 20, at around 8 a.m., by the family Jack Russell dog. Relatives called in an ambulance, but paramedics couldn't save Harry's life. He passed away at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford.

The child was living with 19-year-old mother Mikayla on a semi-detached property, the Sun writes. The house belonged to the girl's parents, Gordon Bell, 42, and Teresa, 40, who celebrated the arrival of their grandson just one week before.

Police believe a single bite caused the baby's death; however, they are pursuing an in-depth investigation into the matter. They have announced that the family dog has been put down, following the incident.

“Our investigation is ongoing but it appears that the baby died as a result of a dog bite.

“The dog in question was a family pet - a Jack Russell - and this animal has been put down.

“A postmortem will be taking place to establish the exact cause of this baby's death but at this stage it does appear to be a tragic accident.

“With an investigation ongoing, there is no further comment I can make on this matter apart from to say that all our thoughts are with the family of the baby at this extremely sad time,” Detective Chief Inspector Neil Jamieson, of West Mercia Police, says.

The family revealed no details about the morning in question, only discussing with the press that the tragic situation brought them a lot of insurmountable grief.

“As a family we are absolutely devastated by Harry’s death and have no words to describe the loss we have suffered,” relatives say.