Benjamin Ashford|Pet wolf hybrid attacks, kills 3-month old baby in Alabama

A three-month-old child is Benjamin Ashforddead in Alabama after being attacked by a wolf hybrid kept as a pet by the baby's family, officials said Friday.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Office was summoned to residence in Chelsea, Alabama just before 1 p.m. local time on Thursday, the office said in a news release. The call reported an animal attack involving an infant. Deputies, firefighters and animal control officers responded to the scene. 

CBS News affiliate WIAT reported that emergency personnel were able to get the three-month-old baby away from the animal and transport the child to Grandview Medical Center, an area hospital. 

The child was pronounced dead at the hospital due to injuries believed to have been caused by the animal, the sheriff's office said. 

Other children were home at the time of the incident, Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer told WIAT. 

"It's been confirmed that one of our children here in Chelsea was killed by an exotic family pet and succumbed to their injuries yesterday afternoon after being taken to the hospital by Chelsea Fire & Rescue," Picklesimer said in a statement shared on social media. "We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate and tragic event.  We lift up the family and all those affected with our deepest prayers and thoughts."

The animal was euthanized at the scene by an area veterinarian, the sheriff's office said. Its remains have been transported to the Alabama State Diagnostics Laboratory for "further examination and investigation." 

Picklesimer said the case is being investigated by the sheriff's office and the Alabama Department of Human Resources, which works to protect "children and vulnerable adults from abuse, neglect or exploitation," according to its website. 

No other details about the case are available at this time, the mayor said. 

Chelsea is about 20 miles southeast of Birmingham.

A wolf hybrid is a term used to descirbe the offspring resulting from the mating between a wolf and a domestic dog, according to the International Wolf Center.

A similar attack occurred in Virginia in 2018, when a wolf-dog hybrid mauled an eight-day-old baby lying in a bassinet. The child died from their injuries, and the animal, which was being kept as a pet, was euthanized. 

In:
• Alabama

Kerry Breen

Kerry Breen is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. A graduate of New York University's Arthur L. Carter School of Journalism, she previously worked at NBC News' TODAY Digital. She covers current events, breaking news and issues including substance use.

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