A 1-year-old girl in Ohio was mauled to death by her family’s pet pit bull while her mother tried desperately to save her.
Blakely Blosser was attacked inside her home in Dover, Ohio, just before 6 p.m. on July 2.
Her mother, Nicole Blosser, said she was picking up laundry when the family’s dog suddenly turned on her daughter.
Nicole turned her back for just a second, and the dog growled and then attacked Blakely.
Highlights
- A 1-year-old girl in Dover, Ohio, was fatally mauled by her family’s pit bull inside their home in early July.
- The mother fought fiercely to save her daughter, suffering bites and scratches during the attack.
- The pit bull instantly severed the baby’s carotid artery, leading to her immediate death.
- The pit bull was euthanized the same day; no charges are expected as the case is considered an accident.
A 1-year-old toddler was mauled to death by her family’s pit bull
Image credits: GoFundMe
The pit bull bit Blakely repeatedly on the face and throat. Nicole fought to stop the attack, suffering bites and scratches herself as she tried to pull the dog away.
“It was about as terrible an ordeal as we’ve come across in a long time,” said Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell.
“The mother clearly put up a fight ... I'm not sure any of us could imagine doing that. I have children, and I can’t imagine a worse nightmare.”
Nicole called 911 twice. The first time, while fighting the pit bull, responders recalled not being able to hear anything. The second time, she told dispatchers her dog had killed her baby.
Police and medics rushed to the home, but Blakely was pronounced dead shortly after they arrived.
“The death of the child was instantaneous; there was nothing that could be done,” Campbell said.
He said the pit bull had “caught the baby right near” the jaw and neck, immediately severing the carotid artery.
Blakely’s father, Derrick Blosser, was not home at the time. He had the pit bull euthanized the same day. The family has two other dogs.
Image credits: GoFundMe
According to the sheriff, the father was shocked to hear about what the pit bull had done, and the dog had been very important to him.
Nicole said the dog had never attacked a person before, but had shown aggression toward other animals.
Sheriff Campbell said the case is under review, but no charges are expected to be filed.
He iterated that this was an accident, and all the information his detectives collected during their investigation matched what the parents told them.
The Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office was performing an autopsy to formally determine the cause of death.
Blakely was born on May 23, 2024. Her obituary, written by her parents, reads, “Blakely brought immeasurable joy, light and love into our lives from the moment she arrived.
“With her bright eyes, infectious giggle, deep stare, and fearless, courageous spirit, she touched the hearts of everyone who met her.”
Image credits: GoFundMe
She loved pushing her wagon, tractor rides, playing peek-a-boo, and meowing out the window at Panther the cat, they said.
“Blakely never wanted to miss a moment, so she fought hard to skip her naps and stay awake to party,” the obituary continues.
“She took her time learning to eat solid food, but that didn’t stop her from sneaking into Logan’s secret candy stash to grab a Reese egg.”
A GoFundMe page set up by Dover Apostolic Church has raised more than $17,000 to help cover funeral expenses and support the family.
“No family should have to face something like this alone,” the church said on the page.
The tragedy follows a similar case just three months ago in Indiana, where a toddler was killed by six pit bulls after her caretaker died unexpectedly.
According to the CDC, infants and older people are more at risk of suffering fatal dog bite attacks. Only last year, 98 people lost their lives in dog bite-related incidents.