According to neighbours, a frantic mum screamed "the dog ate my baby's head" just minutes after the incident. Dyfed Powys Police were called to an address in Pontyberem, Carmarthenshire in Wales shortly before 8.30am. A baby - who has now been named as Eliza-Mae Mullane - was airlifted to the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff. Officers confirmed she was later pronounced dead. An Alaskan Malamute was taken from the property, thought to be on New Road. Chief Inspector Ieuan Matthews said: "The baby girl was just six days old. "Clearly, our sympathies are with the family at this tragic time and we have specialist officers who are supporting them. "All I would ask is that you give them time and space to grieve. "As far as our inquiries are concerned, the investigation is still at an early stage."
BREED: Alaskan Malamutes were originally bred as sled dogs for work in the Arctic [GETTY]
Neighbour Patricia Punter, 71, said anguished Sharon John, 42, ran to her in shock. She said: "It was terrible - I've never heard anything like it. "Sharon was in a state of shock and just screaming. "She just kept on saying: 'The dog ate my baby's head. He's blaming me for it - the baby's gone'." Mrs Punter said the mum-of-three and her partner Patric Mullane, 33, had owned a Husky-like Alaskan Malamute called Nisha for a few months. She said Mr Mullance brought it home from a night out at the pub. She added: "Nisha was about five or six years old but looked older. I think it may have badly treated in the past. "God only knows what has gone on in there. But Sharon was in bits - she was with a policeman and they wouldn't let her back into the house. "She came into my house to use the toilet and that's when she told me what happened to the baby.
"She'd only brought the baby home in the last week. It is just awful - they loved their dogs as much as their children." Another neighbour, Jennifer Brown, 66, revealed how she caught the dog after the attack as it wandered the street. She said: "I looked outside my front window and saw the dog by the ambulance.
"The dog was just walking about and I went out and caught it and handed it to the police. "It's a big dog and white around the mouth - but I didn't see anything that caught my eye to say anything had gone on. "It walked along the pavement and I thought it was strange because people don't normally let their dogs wander the street. "I hadn't seen the dog on the street before but I called it over from the ambulance. "It came to me and I said 'go home' but instead it went to our neighbours porch and ate their cat's food. "I got it to come back out and led it down to the house where all the police were and handed it over to them. "They put it in the back of the police car." Police confirmed a post mortem examination will be held to investigate the cause of death of Eliza-Mae.
Alan Lewis, chairman of Pontyberem Community Council, said: "We are only a village of 2,500 to 3,000. "It is a huge shock for the particular community. Our thoughts go to the family involved, obviously. "From what I understand, the police are still continuing their investigations and the area is cordoned off." Mr Lewis described Pontyberem as "an ex-mining community village". Alaskan Malamutes were originally bred as sled dogs for work in the Arctic, but are now popular as family pets. The Alaskan Malamute Club of the United Kingdom describes the breed as an "affectionate, friendly, loyal, devoted companion" on its website. An ideal Alaskan malamute is "heavily boned, powerfully built", it says. The Kennel Club today issued advice to dog-owners who also have young children. Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: “Our deepest sympathies go to Eliza-Mae Mullane’s family at this tragic time.
"Whilst we do not know the circumstances regarding this terrible incident our general advice to families is to ensure that young children and dogs are always supervised when together, regardless of the breed. "This is particularly important when a new born baby is brought into a household. “It is critical that people buying a puppy go to a responsible breeder, such as a Kennel Club Assured Breeder, who will have socialised their pups properly and that this is continued throughout the dog’s life. “Any dog breed can be a wonderful pet or potentially dangerous in the wrong hands, which is why it is critical to have the correct training and socialisation. "Alaskan Malamutes can be good pets for the right people but their rapid increase in popularity has largely been fuelled by fashion, with too many people failing to do their research or to understand the amount of training and exercise that they require.”
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