A family have said their “much-loved” 17-month-old girl who was mauled to death by a dog in her home will be “missed but never forgotten.”.
The toddler, who died after the attack at her home in Blackbrook, St Helens, was on Monday named by Merseyside police as Bella-Rae Birch.
Her devastated family released a brief statement calling for space and time to grieve.
“As a family we would like to thank the community for their support,” they said. “We would ask that we are now allowed some space and time to try and come to terms with the tragic loss of our much-loved Bella-Rae. She will be sadly missed but never forgotten.”
Neighbours have spoken of their shock after the toddler, described as a “beautiful little girl”, died after being mauled by a newly acquired dog.
Police were called to an address at 3.50pm on Monday afternoon after a report that Bella-Rae had been attacked in her own home by a dog. The child was taken to hospital where she died from her injuries.
Speaking outside the house Supt Steve Brizell said the toddler had lost her life in the “most unimaginably terrible circumstances and our thoughts, first and foremost, are with the family and wider community”.
Specialist family liaison officers were providing support, he said. The incident had left “a family and a community grieving and in complete shock”.
Brizell said the dog, which has been put down, had been with the family for a week after it had been bought. It will be forensically examined to determine its breed and to establish whether it was permitted under the Dangerous Dogs Act.
“We are working to identify all the previous owners of the dog so we can establish its history.”
A neighbour, Joanne Foster, said: “She was such a beautiful little girl, toddling about. I’d see the family in passing, just to say hello, and they were always very pleasant.”
She said she first saw an ambulance arrive at the house followed by about 10 police vehicles. “I saw them bring the dog out. I couldn’t tell what breed it was but from the back it looked like a staffordshire bull terrier or pit bull.”
A neighbour who gave her name as Jordan described she ran to help Bella-Rae.
“We pulled up from school and heard screaming. I just ran over to try to help and started CPR until the paramedics took over.”
The neighbour, who is due to go to university to train as a paramedic, said the child’s parents were “hysterical”.
Another neighbour, who asked not to be named, said she got home at about 4.30pm to find the area busy with police.
“It is usually very quiet here and safe for children, but when you hear something like this has happened it is so distressing,” the neighbour said.
Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed events in Bidston Avenue, or has information about the dog, to come forward.
Anyone with information can contact Merseyside police via its social media desk, @MerPolCC, or “Merseyside police contact centre” on Facebook, with reference 22000196837.
