A newborn baby was hospitalized in critical condition after being taken from his crib and carried outside his central Kentucky home by a family dog, authorities said Tuesday.
The infant, Alexander James Smith, is just a few days old and had been put in his crib for a nap Monday afternoon.
When his parents looked outside later, they saw their pet, a 4-year-old mixed breed called a Native American Indian dog, holding the baby in his mouth, said Jessamine County chief deputy sheriff Allen Peel.
The baby's father, Michael Smith, rushed outside and chased the dog into a wooded area behind the home near Nicholasville, just south of Lexington. It took the father about 10 minutes to recover his son about 200 yards behind the home, Peel said.
"It's unreal," Peel said.
The baby was taken to the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington, where he was listed in critical condition early Tuesday. Peel said the baby suffered multiple punctures and bruises.
The dog, named Dakota, was taken by local animal control officials and was being quarantined.
No charges have been filed, and the case remains under investigation, Peel said.