Funeral Friday for Infant Fatally Mauled by Dog

A dog that fatally mauled a 2½-month-old Springfield Township baby and injured the boy’s father Sunday will be tested for rabies.

A funeral Holden William Garrison will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Coats Funeral Home in Springfield Township, the Detroit Free Press reports.

Memorial contributions may be made to Baby Holden Memorial Fund c/o First Merit Bank, 9749 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, MI 48348.  

» Read the obituary here.

The dog, a Catahoula cattle dog, belongs to the baby’s 18-year-old uncle, who resides with the family. Authorities said the dog tried to jump on the couch, was pushed back, then jumped on the couch again and began attacking the infant in the head and throat area.

The infant’s 26-year-old father, James, was injured while prying open the dog’s jaws.

The story has garnered comments from Patch readers, who say the tragedy illustrates the importance of keeping dogs, especialy territorial breeds, away from young children.

“This is why parents never should leave children unattended with any breed of dog, even for just a second,” reader Paige Marie Harkema posted.

“This is a very territorial breed,” Sandi Hughson wrote. “Obviously, the dog attacked the child because the owner had the baby and pushed the dog away.If the dog had been ‘introduced’ to the child slowly rather then pushed away ,the dog may not have reacted this way.”

She said Catahoula hounds are intelligent, but if they’re not correctly trained, they react out of instinct.

“The dog's instinct is this is a ‘toy or ‘animal’ and wanted it away from the owner,” Hughson wrote. “Also, these dogs can be jealous and did not want his owner to play with another ‘animal.’ By pushing the dog away the dog became aggressive.”

She said the breed has to be trained to live with other animals, and all dogs – even her own Shih Tzu – must be trained to live around small children.

“Should the dog euthanized?” she posted. “Yes. The dog obviously has not been trained properly and cannot be trusted. Too aggressive.”

However, reader Barb Narb  said puttng the dog down is “unacceptable” and the tragedy was not the dog’s fault.

“The baby probably did something to provoke it,” she said, asking others to join her in calling on Oakland County animal control officials to spare the animal’s life.

That comment drew ire from other readers.