A little girl, just over two
years old, died in a northern Italian hospital after being
savaged by a family member's dog, police said Monday.
The little girl was named as Astrid Guarini and was said to
have been playing in the courtyard of a relative's home
in a community northeast of Venice when the family's German
Shepherd attacked, police said.
Relatives, alerted by the screams of other children playing
were the victim, said the dog had been trained to defend the
family home.
Adults rushed to grab the dog and lock it up, calling for
help.
Signs warning of a guard dog had been put up, relatives
said, but the animal had never before shown signs of unwarranted
aggression.
An investigation is continuing.
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