Two-year-old dies after mauling by dog

(ANSA) - Pordenone, May 25 - 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.