A 17-month-old girl died in Merseyside on Monday after she was attacked by her family’s new pet dog. The attack, at an address on Bidston Avenue in Blackbrook, St. Helens, was reported to Merseyside Police at around 3:50 p.m. on Monday. The child, later identified by the police as Bella-Rae Birch, was taken to hospital after emergency services attended the scene, but she died in hospital as a result of her injuries. The dog, which the family had owned for a week, was handed over to police at the family address and “has been humanely destroyed.” Merseyside Police said they will carry out further forensic examinations to determine the breed of dog and whether it is a legal breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act (1991). Officers also carried out “extensive CCTV, witness, and house-to-house enquiries” at the scene on Monday evening. Detective Inspector Lisa Milligan said the force is supporting the “absolutely devastated” family and …