Clayton County

5-month-old girl attacked, killed by babysitter's dog

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A family is furious after they say their babysitter's dog attacked and killed their 5-month-old.

Police say the German Shepherd mauled the baby in a home on Watts Road in Forest Park.

Family members told Channel 2's Tyisha Fernandes that the whole thing is unreal, especially because the dog has been around the baby since she was born.

“I told her I’m so sorry because I always take you with me,” mother Terika George said.

George told Fernandes she’s been crying all night and day since finding out that her baby girl, Paige, is gone.

“What do you think happened?” Fernandes asked George.

“I can’t even say. I just gave it to God and I told him to figure this all out for me,” George said.

According to police, a babysitter who is a longtime friend to the family, was watching Paige Tuesday night. He told police he put the baby down to sleep on a bed in one of the rooms in his home and then he fell asleep himself in another room.

Hours later, around 3 a.m. Wednesday, someone called police and said that a German Shepherd killed the baby.

TRENDING STORIES:

The mother said the dog has always been friendly to her, to Paige and to her older daughter.

She told Fernandes that Paige has been around the dog her entire life.

“He ate by us, he slept by us, he followed us and sometimes I had her in her car seat and he would go over and check on her and walk away. I never heard of anything like this,” George said.

George said it’s hard for her to believe that this happened.

“I was angry, and I couldn’t even focus,” George said.

Police told Fernandes that so far, no charges have been filed, and animal control already euthanized the dog.

No one in the family expected this to happen and relatives said they're scrambling to find the money to bury the little girl.

They have started a GoFundMe page to help pay for the funeral expenses.