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LI Girl Accidentally Strangled by Dog
Tragedy Caused When She Was Pulled By Scarf
Jan 25, 2006 12:31 pm US/Eastern
MANORVILLE, Long Island (AP) A six-year-old girl playing with her dog in the backyard was strangled when the pet apparently grabbed her scarf and playfully pulled her down to the ground and dragged her around the yard. Suffolk County Homicide Detective Lieutenant John Fitzpatrick calls it "an absolutely tragic story.''
Police say the accident happened in the backyard of little Kaitlyn Hassard at 4:30 p.m. yesterday. The girl came home from school wearing the scarf and the dog began pulling on it. The girl's mother put the dog in the backyard and a few minutes later Kaitlyn asked to go out and play with the dog, which weighs about 70 pounds.
The one-and-a-half Golden Retriever named Jessie, again began playing with the 40-pound girl tugging on her scarf.
Lieutenant Fitzpatrick says the girl was in the yard for no more than ten minutes, because the family was going to run an errand at the Post Office. When her eleven-year-old brother went to the backyard to get his sister, he found her lying on the ground.
The boy called his mother who called 9-1-1 and began C-P-R. The girl was pronounced dead at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital.
Lieutenant Fitzpatrick says ``there were no injuries inflicted by the dog.'' He adds ``I don't believe the dog's actions were intentionally malicious.''
The dog has been brought to the Brookhaven Animal Shelter.
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