Eliza-Mae's parents say she will 'always be in our hearts'

The parents of a six-day-old baby who died at a house in Carmarthenshire where a dog was later seized have paid tribute to a "dearly loved daughter".

Eliza-Mae Mullane from Pontyberem was flown to hospital in Cardiff on Tuesday but doctors were unable to save her.

Her parents Sharon John and Patrick Mullane, said they would cherish the short time they had with her, adding "she will always be in our hearts."

The family's pet Alaskan Malamute Nisha has been seized by police.

The tribute continued: "Even though she was an important part of our family for such a short period of time, Eliza-Mae will always be in our hearts and thoughts and we will cherish the little time we were able to share with her.

"She was a dearly loved daughter, sister, grand-daughter and niece.

"She brought joy into our family, and losing her like this has cast the most horrible shadow over all of us.

"There are no words we can use to describe what we feel at the moment, and we don't think there ever will be.

"We are extremely grateful for all the support shown to us by the community,"

Sharon John and Patrick Mullane thanked the community for their support

More floral tributes have been left for the family

Police were called to a house in New Road, Pontyberem shortly before 08:30 GMT on Tuesday.

Dyfed-Powys Police said the investigation was at an early stage and said they would not speculate on reports from people in the community.

The cause of the baby's death is not yet known and the force has not given any details of her injuries.

On Tuesday Ch Insp Ieuan Mathews of Dyfed-Powys Police said the family's Alaskan Malamute, which is not a banned breed, was a key element of the police inquiry.

'Heartbreaking'

The Press Complaints Commission confirmed it had received 17 complaints about a headline The Sun ran alongside its front page coverage of the death in its paper.

The newspaper has since apologised and said it was trying to convey the sense of shock and horror at what happened.

"We had no intention of being disrespectful, and regret that people have been concerned by our headline," a spokesman added.

Neighbours and friends spoke of their shock and sadness at the news.

Family friend Gemma Prosser said: "It's just heartbreaking for Sharon and Patrick.

"One minute they had a bundle of joy in their arms and all those lovely things to look forward to when you are new parents.

"The next minute they have lost their little girl in such a terrible way."

Alaskan Malamutes were originally bred as sled dogs for work in the Arctic but have become popular as family pets.

The Alaskan Malamute Club of the United Kingdom described the breed on its website as "heavy boned and powerfully built" as well as affectionate and friendly.