Linzy Earles, 17, of Tulsa Oklahoma, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the July 28, 2008, death of her 2-month-old baby, Zane Earles.
The boy "was left unattended in an infant swing on the opposite side of the house for approximately two hours," according to a police affidavit. As his mother napped, the boy "suffered multiple dog bites" and was "eaten alive," per the affidavit.
The dog was a black Labrador puppy "that was left loose in the house [and] ate the two-month-old victim," the police affidavit states. (Click here to read the article.)
Parents and dog owners generally need to know that dogs are not stuffed animals. Dogs have teeth and claws. There is an unacceptable risk in leaving an unsupervised dog with children. This horrific fatality is only the tip of the iceberg. As an attorney who does nothing but represent dog bite victims -- most of whom are children -- I must tell you that too many innocent children get injured by dogs because their parents are hopeful rather than cautious.
