A nine-month-old infant died, and a 49-year-old woman was seriously injured after their family dog attacked them inside their home in Iowa. 

The Waterloo Police Department was called to the scene at around 7:20 am on Thursday, May 4, after the canine had already attacked the two victims. First responders transported the injured woman, who was reportedly the infant’s grandmother, to Allen Hospital and later to the University of Iowa Hospital. The grandmother had been hurt while trying to intervene when the family pet attacked.

Responding officers declared the infant dead at the scene. The dog, a boxer/hound mix, was euthanized by animal control officers after the attack. Police Captain Jason Feaker stated that the dog was taken to Iowa State University for further testing after being put down. The authorities have not released any names to the public, as the investigation is ongoing.

The deadly dog attack is not the first of its kind this year. In March, a Belgian Malinois dog severely injured three-year-old Xavier Carr, whose family was dog-sitting the animal. The dog almost ripped the little boy’s arm off, and his father, Joshua Carr, immediately called 911 and wrapped his belt around the boy’s arm to stop the bleeding. Doctors later credited the father’s quick action with saving his son’s life after the young boy underwent surgery to reconnect his arm.

In February, a dog attacked six-year-old Lily Norton and bit her in the face, resulting in a 12-hour surgery and over 1,000 stitches. The attack occurred at a friend’s house while they were playing cards at the table.

In April, there were two serious dog attacks in Minnesota. On April 7, a pit bull attacked a child in a park in Brooklyn, and about a week later, four dogs mauled a 22-year-old man to death inside a home in Brooklyn Center while he was dog-sitting them for a family member.