Parents will cherish memory of baby girl thought killed by dog

Eliza-Mae Mullane was airlifted to the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff yesterday after what is thought to have been an attack by the family’s Alaskan malamute dog.

In a statement, her parents, Sharon John and Patrick Mullane, said: “Even though she was an important part of our family for such a short period of time, Eliza-Mae will always be in our hearts and thoughts and we will cherish the little time we were able to share with her. She was a dearly loved daughter, sister, granddaughter and niece.

“She brought joy into our family, and losing her like this has cast the most horrible shadow over all of us. There are no words we can use to describe what we feel at the moment, and we don’t think there ever will be.

“We are extremely grateful for all the support shown to us by the community. We are now trying as a family to come to terms with what’s happened, and ask that we are allowed to do this in privacy. Thank you.”

It is “very unlikely” that there will be any updates on the police investigation until the end of the week, a police spokeswoman said. A post-mortem examination is not expected to be carried out until then.

She added: “We’ve still got the dog, and no, it hasn’t been destroyed at the moment.”

The parents have not been interviewed by police and the force has not confirmed whether the animal, described as “docile” by one neighbour, was responsible for the death.

Neighbour Patricia Punter, 70, of Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire, Mid Wales, has been widely reported as overhearing the baby’s mother screaming: “The dog ate my baby’s head.”