Animal rights campaigners in desperate bid to save 120lb mastiff that mauled one-year-old boy to death

Onion, a six year old mastiff-Rhodesian ridgeback killed one-year-old

Jeremiah Eskew-Shahan died after the dog bit down on his head

Dog was handed over to authorities but animal rights activist 'saved' him

Supreme Court to rule on the 120lbs animal's fate Wednesday

A dog that mauled a one-year-old boy to death is finally set to be put down after animal-rights activists pleaded for it to be spared.

Jeremiah Eskew-Shahan had just celebrated his first birthday when Onion, a six-year-old mastiff-Rhodesian ridgeback mix, launched a lethal attack on the boy.

Jeremiah, from Henderson, Nevada died after the 120lbs dog clamped its massive jaws over his head and violently shook the child for less than 30 seconds.

Tragedy: Jeremiah Eskew-Shahan is seen giggling next to Onion, a six-year-old mastiff-Rhodesian ridgeback mix, that killed him

Friendly: Animal-rights activitists said they will 'not giving up' trying to save the dog they think is harmless

Onion was set to be put down following a Nevada ruling in May, but The Nevada Supreme Court is set to hear the final arguments today.

The court, in Carson City, is expected to follow the ruling by Nevada Judge Joanna Kishner and sign the final order to euthanize Onion.

Onion, owned by Jeremiah’s grandfather, shook Jeremiah as he bit down, breaking the boy's neck and mangling his face.

Onion's owners willingly turned him over to animal control officials in May following the April 27 attack.

‘For what he did to my son, he deserves to be punished,’ Jeremiah's father, Christopher Shahan, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. ‘ I’ve already accepted the fact that he’s dead.'

Incarcerated: The Nevada Supreme Court hears arguments on Wednesday that will determine the fate of Onion

Vicious: Despite pleas from animal rights activists, the judge is expected to sign the final order to put the dog down

Jeremiah's grandmother, Elizabeth Keller, watched in horror as the dog bit her grandson in the head.

She sobbed as she told the Review-Journal that the public legal fight over Onion's fate is putting even more strain on the family.

'I don't care if they save the dog or not. We need to get past this,' she said.



The family had just helped Jeremiah celebrate his first birthday at their Nevada home.

The boy was learning how to walk, and tried to help himself up by grabbing on to Onion.

Onion latched on to Jeremiah’s face and neck and began shaking him back and forth.

Crime and punishment: Jeremiah's father said: 'For what he did to my son, he deserves to be punished'

Father and son: Jeremiah had just celebrated his first birthday; he is seen held by his father Christopher

‘I tried everything I could think of to do to try and get him off our baby,’ Ms Keller recalled to WXIX.

However, she was unable to pry Onion off of her grandson. Mr Shahan, rushed to help, saying that his son’s jaw was loose and half of his face was missing.

Les Golden is a Chicago-area dog rescuer who is leading the campaign to save Onion

Jeremiah was rushed to St Rose Dominican Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the coroner’s report, he sustained blunt force injuries of the head and neck.

After the family handed the dog over to be put down, a judge put a temporary stop to euthanising the dog after a group called the Lexus Project filed a legal petition to keep the dog alive.

The organization had said it found a dog sanctuary near Denver where the animal could spend the rest of his life.

'There is nothing vicious about the attack,' Richard Rosenthal, the head of the group that is fighting to save Onion, told the newspaper.

'Killing the dog will not bring back the baby,' said the New York lawyer.

Animal control officers in Henderson said Onion was a ‘vicious’ dog and requires euthanasia.

‘The dog attacked and killed a child,’ animal control spokesman Keith Paul said,’ adding that it would be ‘irresponsible’ to allow Onion to continue living.