MARTINEZ, Ga. — Investigators have taken a dog into custody after it attacked a woman and an infant, killing the child.
Columbia County Sheriff’s deputies told The Associated Press the attack happened Tuesday afternoon at a home in Martinez. The infant, 7-month-old Serenity Garnett, was being watched by her great-grandmother when the dog attacked the two of them.
The great-grandmother rents a room in the home where the attack happened, and WJBF reports she was watching the dog for the homeowner who was not there.
The great-grandmother’s injuries were not life-threatening, investigators told The Associated Press. The child died after she was taken to AU Medical Center.
The dog was identified by the sheriff’s office as an American Bulldog Great Pyrenees mix, and was quarantined for rabies testing, WJBF reported.
“She didn’t have the strength to deal with that dog,” Stephen Fox, a neighbor, told WJBF. “That dog had muscles coming out the wazoo. When he got out occasionally, it was very hard to get back.”
Investigators said they are still working to determine what provoked the dog to attack.