This photo provided by the San Diego County Department of Animal Services shows a male American Staffordshire terrier-mix named Polo, in their custody after it mauled to death a 3-day-old boy, police said Friday, April 22, 2016. The parents were in bed watching TV with their newborn son and dog Thursday... (Associated Press) 
 
 This photo provided by the San Diego County Department of Animal Services shows a male American Staffordshire terrier-mix named Polo, in their custody after it mauled to death a 3-day-old boy, police... (Associated Press) ||||| The family waited 28 seconds on the first 911 call and 34 seconds on the second call. NBC 7's Omari Fleming reports. (Published Sunday, April 24, 2016) 
 
 Parents of Baby Killed by Dog Tried to Call 911 Twice 
 
 A couple, whose three-day-old baby was killed by the family dog in what is being called a tragic accident, made two unsuccessful 911 calls Thursday night, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) confirmed. 
 
 The mother and father of the newborn were watching television in bed with the baby and the dog Thursday when the mother suddenly coughed. 
 
 "The dog made contact with the baby leading to traumatic injuries," Sgt. Tuu Nguyen, of the Child Abuse Unit San Diego Police Department, said. 
 
 The family waited 28 seconds before hanging up during their first 911 call, then waited an additional 34 seconds on their second emergency call before finally hanging up and driving the baby to the hospital themselves. 
 
 The newborn did not survive the injuries. 
 
 Neighbor Jimmy Xiu heard the family's panic before seeing them race away to the hospital. 
 
 “Oh my god. That’s what I heard. Oh my God ," Xiu said. "I heard them screaming and rushing to their car and their car rushing out." 
 
 "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family in this very tragic case. We know every second counts in an emergency,” Lt. Scott Wahl of SDPD said in a statement Saturday. 
 
 According to SDPD, between 7:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. when the family was calling for assistance, dispatch received 73 total 911 calls. 
 
 Wahl said they know from a study the police department did that nearly a quarter of 911 calls are pocket dials. 
 
 “They're supposed to answer immediately and say ‘what’s the emergency?’ not wait until the person has to call back again," neighbor Naomi Diaz said. 
 
 In an investigation NBC 7 found many local 911 calls are taking minutes, not seconds, and aside from pocket dials, understaffing is contributing to the problem. 
 
 Overtime is being required by the department until the dispatcher jobs are filled. 
 
 Offiicals said despite the long wait, it's critical callers not hang up and stay on the phone. ||||| SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The death of a newborn baby, who apparently was fatally attacked by his family's dog in their Mira Mesa home, was under investigation Friday. 
 
 The parents of the 3-day-old boy told authorities they were watching television in bed with the child and their Great Dane-terrier mix in their Flanders Drive residence about 8 p.m. Thursday when the mother coughed, startling the animal and causing it to bite the infant, according to San Diego police. 
 
 The couple took the gravely wounded baby to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Sgt. Tu Nguyen said. 
 
 Detectives were investigating the fatality, though it "appears to be just a tragic accident," the sergeant said. 
 
 The county Department of Animal Services took custody of the 2-year-old dog, a neutered male named Polo. The canine will undergo a 10-day quarantine to make sure he is not rabid, after which he will be euthanized unless his owners decide to reclaim him, DAS spokesman Dan DeSousa said. 
 
 The dog had no known prior history of dangerous aggressiveness, DeSousa said.
– Police in San Diego say a couple whose 3-day-old baby was mauled to death by the family dog made two unsuccessful 911 calls before getting frustrated and driving the boy to the hospital themselves, the AP reports. Police Lt. Scott Wahl told KNSD-TV Saturday that the parents waited 28 seconds before hanging up their first call, then tried again and waited 34 seconds before giving up. Police say the couple was in bed with the baby Thursday night when the dog was startled and attacked the baby; the child was declared dead at the hospital. Cops say the family has their condolences and that they, too, are frustrated by slow 911 response times. They say their operators are understaffed and that 73 calls came in during the half-hour span when the parents called. The dog, a 2-year-old Great Dane-terrier mix named Polo who had no past reports of aggressiveness, was taken by the San Diego Department of Animal Services for a 10-day quarantine to ensure it's not rabid, KFMB reports. Polo will be put down after that time if the baby's parents don't come to take him back, per a DAS rep. (A 9-year-old was killed by his sister's pit bulls.)