http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080731_11_A11_hThepu158271
Baby's family wants pets returned
By NICOLE MARSHALL World Staff Writer
7/31/2008
The pug and two cats were taken from a home where a baby was killed, apparently by a puppy.
A pug and two cats that were taken from a home where a puppy apparently killed an infant will be returned to the baby's family.
Two-month-old Zane Earles died Monday at his home in the 2900 block of East 102nd Street, Tulsa Police Officer Leland Ashley said.
The black Labrador retriever puppy, which Tulsa Animal Shelter Manager Jean Letcher described as nearly 3 months old, was euthanized at the request of the police.
Now detectives are trying to determine what might have led the dog to bite the child.
"The Lab puppy was euthanized to recover evidence, and there was physical evidence recovered from the dog," Ashley said.
Based upon the available evidence, he said, "at this time, it appears to be a tragic accident."
The cause and manner of Zane's death remain pending; it could be several weeks before all of the tests are conducted and a report is completed, state Medical Examiner's Office spokesman Randy Saffell said.
Police have declined to release details about the baby's injuries; however, they were significant enough that he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The pug, which Letcher described as a middle-aged dog, was not involved in the baby's death, according to police.
Officials have received several calls about its possible adoption.
But Letcher said the family wants the pug back, as well as the two cats.
Pending police approval, the animals will be returned to the family.
The father of the baby, who recently moved into the household, told police that he left the home at 8 a.m., and the grandfather said he left at 8:30 a.m.
They told investigators that the baby was fine when they left, Ashley said.
Initial reports indicate that the baby's mother, who is 17, and grandmother were sleeping in their bedrooms on the west side of the house and that the baby was in a baby swing in a dining room on the east side of the house, according to police.
Family members have declined interviews and have not returned telephone calls.
Police have not identified them by name.
A death notice identifies Zane's parents as Linzy Earles and Tyler Ogden. Linzy Earles' parents are Stanley and Holly Earles, according to court and public records.
Nicole Marshall 581-8459
[email protected]
By NICOLE MARSHALL World Staff Writer