A family's loyal basset hounds have refused to leave the side of a dying baby girl who suffered a major stroke.

Nora Hall’s parents have taken the heartbreaking decision to turn off their five-month-old daughter’s life support after the stroke caused brain damage and left her in a medically-induced coma.

Her mother Mary Hall wrote on Facebook: “My daughter had a stroke on April 6. We have been at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis since then. She is not going to survive.  

“They allowed us to have our bassets here in the last couple of days because they are so attached to her.”

She added the dogs have appeared “very stressed and sad” in the hospital and asked members of the Wonderful World of Basset Hounds Facebook group for advice on keeping them by her bedside.

“I was leaning towards sending them away [from her room] so they didn’t get stressed, but after reading so many comments saying to keep them, then I will (the nurses are head over heels with them anyhow.”

In a series of heart-wrenching Facebook updates, the parents expressed their gratitude for the support people around the world had shown them.

They explained the longer they kept their daughter on life support the more at risk she was of suffering even more.

“The longer we keep her on life support, the higher the chance is that she will suffer an acute crisis such as another stroke, heart attack or organ failure that will take her life,” her mother added.

“We do not know when or how this would strike, but it is likely soon. If this happens, the pain and palliative team cannot guarantee that she will pass comfortably and unafraid.

“Our hearts are so completely broken. Our world is shattered. We are devastated and ache for our baby girl. We tried so very hard to save her, but it just wasn't meant to be.”

She added: “We have been praying so hard for a miracle, that we hadn't realised that it was right in front of us this whole time. Nora IS our miracle.”

A GoFundMe page has been set up for the family.

Another pet dog was previously praised for keeping a missing toddler safe and warm during a frantic search.