A baby boy has died after being mauled by a pet dog in Germany.

The seven-month-old was attacked by the animal in the town of Bad König, thirty miles south of Frankfurt, on Monday night. The dog, named Chico, bit the infant on the head while the family was at home, local police said. The boy's father immediately called the emergency services after the biting incident and the baby was taken by paramedics to a nearby emergency clinic, according to The Local. His condition stabilised at the clinic but he died of his injuries later that night. The dog was taken to an animal shelter in nearby Michelstadt. Chico's breed is unclear - a police spokesperson described her as a Staffordshire mix while staff at the shelter said she was a boxer mix. The staff reported that she was behaving "very aggressively." Local prosecutors told the media that the baby boy's parents are in a state of shock following the tragic incident. Meanwhile, it's not known what will happen to Chico. Local officials are deciding whether she should be put down or kept in a special facility for the rest of her life. An online petition calling for Chico's life to be spared has already garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures. A family member had reported the dog's aggressive behaviour to the Hannover District Court as far back as 2011, claiming the owner, a man, was not mentally fit to take care of it. The court's veterinary officer could face a penalty for not taking sufficient action on the reports.