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Police reports and subsequent interviews revealed that the tragedy was exacerbated by a lapse in supervision. A family member, who suffers from epilepsy, had reportedly fallen asleep with the infant on their chest. When the baby slipped, the family pet reacted, resulting in the fatal mauling. In a cruel twist of fate, the family member then suffered a seizure of their own, adding another layer of chaos and trauma to an already horrific situation.
Anna Southard has been forced to navigate the impossible choice of how to handle the aftermath. While her initial, visceral reaction was to demand justice and press charges, she has ultimately decided against it, choosing to view the tragedy as a preventable, yet ultimately accidental, instance of profound neglect. She believes that the weight of knowing what their actions—or lack thereof—caused will be a lifetime sentence for the family member involved. “It was an accident,” she said in an interview. “An avoidable accident, is still an accident.”
The loss of Ember has left a void that can never be filled. Anna remembers her daughter not just for the way she died, but for the way she lived: her sweet smile, her infectious joy, and her tendency to spit up on anyone who held her. “There wasn’t a soul that met her that didn’t absolutely love her,” Anna recalled. The memory of her “wittle noodle” is what drives Anna to share this story, despite the crushing weight of her own sorrow.
She has one plea for the community and for parents everywhere: “Hold their babies closer. Follow safe sleep. Keep dogs, ALL DOGS, away from your baby. Any dog can kill an infant. There’s no reason to risk it. It’s never worth it.” Her message is a sharp, unyielding directive to those who believe that familiarity breeds safety. She reminds us that an animal’s history—even eleven years of kindness—does not guarantee its future behavior when an infant is involved.