AL - Taylor Kitlica, 18 mos, mauled to death by dog, Brewton, 28 Jan 2007

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/10877682/detail.html

BREWTON, Ala. -- An 18-month-old Brewton girl was fatally mauled by a Rottweiler dog Sunday night.


Escambia County Sheriff's Major Mike Murphy, in a statement yesterday, identified the victim as Taylor Kitlica. He said the girl's two-and-a-half year old brother also was attacked, but he survived with minor bites on his back.


Murphy said Taylor suffered massive head injuries.


An investigation determined the girl's family found the dog wandering their neighborhood. They decided to take the animal in and chained the dog in their front yard in hopes the owner would see it.


Meanwhile, Escambia County Sheriff Grover Smith said the youngster's death is "sad and tragic" and called for a stronger law to deal with vicious animals.


Smith is asking the owner of the Rotweiler to come forward and contact his office. Murphy said the dog was euthanized.
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I wish so much the girls family had of left the dog alone, or called animal control instead of trying to deal with this on their own! With all the news of dog attacks today I wouldn't have one near my kids, chained up or not. And why weren't the parents watching their kids and keeping it away from the dog anyway!

called for a stronger law to deal with vicious animals

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Yes. i would think so too! ! :furious: :furious: :furious:

So tragic. I had to do a double-take at the title of the thread to make sure it wasn't a pit bull.

another senseless death at the hands of vicious dogs

I personally know two kids who were mauled by Rottweilers and I live in a small town. I'm more afraid of them than Pit Bulls!

They're the same type of species - neither is safe.

Poor little girl! May she r.i.p. What were her parents thinking letting her around a dog that they had no idea was capable of? Im scared of pits, rottweilers, chow's and mastif's. They are EXTREMELY protective and if feeling intimidated or crowded they will attack. We have mastifs next door and they scare me, the fence is only 4 ft and he easily could jump over it. If they are outside we are NOT,they make me nervous with all their barking.

I personally dont own dogs anymore, I wont bring one into my home. My 3 year old might get hurt and its not worth the chance of it. My dog ( samoyed) was a wonderful caring dog but did get cranky when he was older, we believe he had a touch of dementia and poor eyesight. He was hurt one time and bit me I knew it was from him being hurt and grouchy in his old age so it didnt bother me but I would flip out if it would happen to my daughter.

Autumn2004 said:

Poor little girl! May she r.i.p. What were her parents thinking letting her around a dog that they had no idea was capable of? Im scared of pits, rottweilers, chow's and mastif's. They are EXTREMELY protective and if feeling intimidated or crowded they will attack. We have mastifs next door and they scare me, the fence is only 4 ft and he easily could jump over it. If they are outside we are NOT,they make me nervous with all their barking.

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I totally agree with you on pits, rotts and chows. But my sister had a mastiff. She was the most loving and sweet dog, just a big lap dog. Protective? Yes. But my nephews would ride her like a horse and pull her tail and take her toys from her and she would let them. Not once did she ever show any aggresion toward my sister, her family, or any of us. I dog sat frequently for this dog. I loved her. One night I had left the back door open enough so she could go play and do her business and forgot that I had done so. It was dark outside when all of sudden she started growling, baring teeth and hair raised. I have never seen her act like that. She kept it up for a couple of hours. I was scared out of my mind. She finally settled down. My sister's house is huge and to this day I believe either someone or some creature was in the house. But the whole time she never left my side. If anyone had the answer the door, she was right there and would come inbetween you and the "stranger". God I loved that dog. My sister had to put her down 2 years ago (not long after we lost my mom). She had gotten so sick and just wasn't getting better. But we joke that she really wanted to go be with our mom. That dog loved my mom and my mom HATED that dog. It was funny to watch.... If we had a big enough house I would love to get a mastiff. Rest in Peace, BC.

What a sad and senseless loss! I am a dog lover but can't understand how this could have happened? An 18 month old baby should not have been allowed anywhere near this unknown dog!

VB

This is horrible, and it was 100% preventable. That poor little girl. My heart breaks for what she went through and for the fact that she will never have a chance to grow up in this world.

I hope the mother learned from her tragic mistake. I don't see how she couldn't have. I have taken in hundreds of strays or abuse/neglected dogs over the years. And, I have a daughter. But, I was always careful. I have the facilities to do this so that it is safe. All dogs are isolated for at least 2 weeks from humans and other pets until they are evaluated/tested for health and temperament and given shots and de-wormed. I love dogs very much; but, I must do this to ensure everyone's safety and health.

If a person wants to incite aggression in a dog, one of the best ways to do it is to tie them up. during training sessions or keep them on a leash and encourage them to pull forward with force. This is so much so that it is considered a standard by many when teaching protection for Schutzhund, Ringsport, Police Civil Dogs, or war dogs. We tie them up during training or hold them on a leash while encouraging them to pull forward with power--carefully and safely and the dogs are never left unattended.

So, a large powerful dog tied up in a strange, new environment with children that are strangers to the dog is a bad idea. Any potential aggression that dog had within him/her is more likely to come out under those circumstances. Even if the dog was not tied, the dog should not have been around tiny children. The mother did not know the dog, its temperament, or its health status.

Dogs are wonderful animals. They give us unconditional love and friendship. They save our lives. They work as guide dogs, service dogs, war dogs, herding dogs, and so much more. But, they are animals with big teeth. We can't afford to become complacent with a potentially dangerous animal. Any dog can bite; but, some are more likely to do so than others. And, some have big, powerful jaws. Whether a dog will bite or attack is based on a complex combination of genetics and environment.

I think I've said this before, so I am sorry if I repeating this. We basically created dogs. We bred them from wolves thousands of years ago, and we still breed dogs--intentionally or otherwise. We have the responsibility to learn how to and to then breed carefully for steady temperament and health (physical and mental). And, we have the responsibility to raise them with love and guidance to include positive socialization, not only for their sake, but for the sake all of those around them.

I am praying for the family of the little girl who was killed. Though, it was a huge mistake and I think an error of judgement on the mother's part, I am sure she loves her children and is in terrible pain from the tragic loss of her child.

I am sorry. Thanks to VegasBride who caught my error. I should have stated, "family" where I stated, mother.

An investigation determined the girl's family found the dog wandering their neighborhood. They decided to take the animal in and chained the dog in their front yard in hopes the owner would see it.

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Best,

Lion

LionRun I agree with everything you said here but I was not clear on if it was the mother or possibly the father who made such a bad judgement here, it's possible the father could have been the one who allowed the babies to have such close contact.

VB

Hi VegasBride. I absolutely love your hat BTW. Thank you for catching my error. Me thinks me needs to check me facts more better .


Best,

Lion

Autumn2004 said:

I personally dont own dogs anymore, I wont bring one into my home. My 3 year old might get hurt and its not worth the chance of it. My dog ( samoyed) was a wonderful caring dog but did get cranky when he was older, we believe he had a touch of dementia and poor eyesight. He was hurt one time and bit me I knew it was from him being hurt and grouchy in his old age so it didnt bother me but I would flip out if it would happen to my daughter.

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Autumn, there are so many dogs that you can safely have in your home with your daughter. If you really want a dog, you should reconsider. A dog in the home teaches children many things, like compassion for animals and responsibility. As long as you have the right dog, who is trained well, and you supervise your child, everything will be fine. Think of all the people who have grown up in homes with animals without every receiving an injury. It's your choice, though. In my case, I have 3 dogs, and 3 kids, and the benefits of having dogs FAR outweigh the possible risks. My kids love their dogs & they are part of our family. Of course, I would never have a pit bull or other dangerous breed, but there are many breeds great with kids. I grew up with animals and wouldn't have it any other way for my kids.

Rotties and Pits are mean dogs. They do not belong in a house with small children. I don't buy the "there are no bad dogs just bad owners". Not true. These 2 breeds have such a long history of viciousness they are unpredicable. Why do you think drug dealers and thugs have these breed of dogs?

There are so many nice breeds out there. There is no reason to have one of these 2 with kids in the house.

I am sorry for them, but I can't help but blame the parents not the animal for this tragic and senseless death. Animal control would have resolved the situation and have allowed the owner to claim the dog...without destroying it (which now is impossible and the owner will most likely face serious charges). A child has lost her life, another child is hurt, and everyone is suffering when a phone call would have prevented the entire situation and had they kept their children inside away from the animal like responsible adults.

I have had many kinds of dogs and Rotts are my absolute favorites. (I would never own a pit bull! They truly are unpredictable.) If Rotts are raised properly and trained in a kind and loving environment, they are extraordinarily tolerant and show no signs of aggression towards people unless they are protecting their family or totally provoked. You can't blame a breed just lousy owners! (Unless it is a pit bull...then you can blame the breed! It is an innate behavior which you cannot control with any amount of training with complete certainty.)

You should see the photos I have of my friend's dog, Gypsy, playing in the sprinkler with several children at a cook-out! She acted just like one of them with a huge smile running in and out of the water! All 100+ lbs. of lap dog having a blast! I have been around her for years and Gypsy is the best, not only Rott, but sweetest animal I have ever seen.

Owning any kind of dog is a huge responsibility. Owning a Rotty or Pitbull or any of the larger more aggressive dogs IS JUST LIKE OWNING A LOADED GUN.
If you don't know what your doing then you shouldn't own one!!

I have two Rottys.... and two before these.... and I have 4 children who grew up with all of them. What do they all have in common? EXCELLENT PROFESSIONAL TRAINING. Both of the dogs and of the family!! My Rotts are loving and goofy and and think they are still lap size dogs. We started training at 5 weeks. Yep 5 weeks. They are taught that they are NOT ALLOWED TO PUT THEIR TEETH ON ANYONE EVER. Are they still dangerous? Yes they are. These are not the kind of dogs you want to take to the neighborhood festival and walk around a crowd on a lesh. I'm smart enough to know that. I educated myself and my family about the dogs we own. Half the pleasure of owning these beautiful dogs is GOING THROUGH TRAINING WITH THEM. I wish more people would do that. Rotts are a wonderful breed of dog. OMG so loving and so eager to please.....
AND JUST AS DANGEROUS AS A LOADED GUN!

I don't really blame people for being afraid of these breeds of dogs. They should be afraid. I also believe that to own a dangerous breed such as Rotts or Pits etc., that the owners be required to get a special license saying they have no choice but to go through training, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.

I shudder at the number of these dogs that are put down because they never get training and they are way over the top aggressive. It's not right to bring something so dangerous into a neighborhood and not take complete responsibility to properly care for it. I hate to use this example over and over but would you go out and buy a loaded gun and then just leave it in your back yard where any number of things could happen that would endanger your own family and the families around you? I would hope not.

My heart goes out to this family. I can't imagine how horrible it must be for them. My prayers are with them.

julianne said:

Autumn, there are so many dogs that you can safely have in your home with your daughter. If you really want a dog, you should reconsider. A dog in the home teaches children many things, like compassion for animals and responsibility. As long as you have the right dog, who is trained well, and you supervise your child, everything will be fine. Think of all the people who have grown up in homes with animals without every receiving an injury. It's your choice, though. In my case, I have 3 dogs, and 3 kids, and the benefits of having dogs FAR outweigh the possible risks. My kids love their dogs & they are part of our family. Of course, I would never have a pit bull or other dangerous breed, but there are many breeds great with kids. I grew up with animals and wouldn't have it any other way for my kids.

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I loved my dog dearly, he was mine even though he was the family dog. I spoiled him so badly and loved it, I was able to enjoy him for almost 18 years before he developed cancer and his arthritis meds caused it but he needed them and he was so much more comfortable with those pills. There are other factors also to me not having a dog right now.

I have to work with my dh a bit and hopefully he will come around and at this point in our lives it isnt feasible. Me and my daughter are gone quite often, we dont have a fenced in yard, and we love going on vacations which I wouldnt want to make someone responsible for my dog or make my dog nervous and lonely by us being gone. We have fish, a huge amount of fish actually and my daughter loves them. She helps feed them and also has picked them out at the store and named them.

They require a ton of work too which is about all the free time I have for pets right now. Dh has ocd issues so it would be stressful for him and its much more pleasant to have a happy home. We do plan on getting other pets in a few years. Probably caged ones like hamsters, gerbils or guinea pigs I know my husband would be ok with those.

In the future maybe we might get a small dog but I have vision problems with partial blindness so I dont know what my future holds with being able to take care of them. Im on medication now and plan for surgery in the future but Im hopeful to only stay with vision loss at 30% so I can still function normally.

Sheromom said:

I personally know two kids who were mauled by Rottweilers and I live in a small town. I'm more afraid of them than Pit Bulls!

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My niece has had Rottweilers for years.

This is so sad. That family was trying to help that animal out of compassion and now they've lost their daughter.

Nocgirl said:

Rotties and Pits are mean dogs. They do not belong in a house with small children. I don't buy the "there are no bad dogs just bad owners". Not true. These 2 breeds have such a long history of viciousness they are unpredicable. Why do you think drug dealers and thugs have these breed of dogs?

There are so many nice breeds out there. There is no reason to have one of these 2 with kids in the house.

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My niece has had Rotty's for years and she has a 10 year old son. None of them are "mean dogs." They have been so sweet and loving. They are protective of the family.

Do you think drug dealers and thugs treat these dogs with loving kindness? No, they are mistreated and made into vicious beasts, for the benefit of their owners and their lawless dealings.

I agree w/ L L & S and others that Rotts need a very strong hand. I think they can be great dogs (but I still wouldn't trust any Pit). When I took my mini Poodle for obedience training a Rott was so aggressive with my dog that the Rott got kicked out of the class. That Rott wanted to have my poodle for lunch. The trainer told the owner she better invest on one on one intensive training unless she wanted a disaster on her hands. Years before, I had taken my Husky/Collie mix to training and a Rott was a problem in that class too. Aggressive with the other dogs. The Rott ended up having to be positioned away from the other dogs and didn't end up finishing the class. The owner just couldn't handle him. My Husky/Collie had never shown aggression but when that Rott was nearby, he was just a bundle of nerves. And so was I.

Eve