A 6-month-old boy who was visiting with relatives in Chesterfield County died Wednesday afternoon after being bit by the family's longtime pet dog.
Police and paramedics were called about 1:40 p.m. to a home in the 4600 block of Overridge Drive for a report of an infant male being bitten by a dog, police said.
The child, who police said is related to the dog's owner, was taken to VCU Medical Center in Richmond, where he died. The dog, a Dogo Argentino, was signed over to Chesterfield Animal Control.
Lt. Randy Horowitz said the animal had no history of being aggressive.
The baby and his mother were visiting the woman's brother, wife and two children when the incident occurred, according to police and neighbors. The baby was in a common room of the house and several adults were in an adjoining room when they heard the dog grunt, Horowitz said.
When they went to investigate, they noticed blood on the back of the baby's neck, Horowtiz said.
Neighbors said they were shocked and saddened by the incident and described the family living at the home as longtime, well-liked residents of the community who had lovingly raised the rescued dog from the time it was a puppy.
Called Polar, because of her white color, the Dogo was deaf, according to neighbors Geoff Rundlett and J.C. Thompson.
"They are a loving family, and Polar is a loving dog," said Rundlett, who has known the family for seven years.
Thompson said neighborhood children would stop to pet the dog in the backyard, that the animal never leaped a 4-foot high fence there, and was quick to obey commands and hand signals from family members.
"Something had to trigger the dog. The kids would walk up to her and scratch her ears and she was as gentle as could be," Thompson said.
Thompson and Rundlett identified the owners of the home as Charles and Erin Teets, who also are identified as the owners in Chesterfield land records. The couple has two teenage children.
The family could not be reached Wednesday night and had left the home as media representatives began appearing in the neighborhood. Teets is a computer analyst at the Defense Supply Center Richmond, neighbors said.
The Dogo generally stands about 24 inches tall and weighs up to 100 pounds, according to website information about the breed, which is related to the bulldog. The breed is considered a loyal dog "who makes a great guardian of the home and family," according to the online Dog Breed Info Center. "This breed needs someone who understands how to display leadership," according to the website.
The residence where the incident occurred is in Chesterfield's Greenbriar subdivision between Harrowgate and Branders Bridge Road, about 2½ miles north of Colonial Heights.
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