Upstate NY Family's Pet Dog Killed 11-Month-Old Boy; Was Playing in Home

Police say an 11-month-old boy has died after being attacked by his family's 2-year-old pet pit bull terrier.

Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol says 32-year-old Lisa Cittadino of Marshall, New York, called 911 Sunday evening reporting that the dog had attacked her son. Cittadino told deputies the dog had been playing in the living room with the baby and his three sisters, age 7 to 12, when the attack happened around 7:15 p.m.

The child was rushed by ambulance to a hospital where he died of face and neck wounds.

Cittadino told investigators the dog hadn't been aggressive before. The daughters said the baby had been near the dog's food dish just before the attack.

Cittadino requested that the dog be euthanized. The child's name wasn't available.

A 9-year-old girl on Long Island was killed earlier this month when a pit bull attacked her while she was playing with friends in a yard. 

Despite frightening stories from around the country, advocates say the breed's reputation for violence is undeserved, the result of the breed's use in dogfighting and as a status symbol for gang leaders. The Poughkeepsie Police Departmentrecently adopted a pit bull to serve as a police dog, and Kiah will also be a goodwill ambassador for her breed and for the police.

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