Dog Mauling Leaves Texas Infant Dead, Grandmother Injured

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/42195357.html

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Police Chief Bill McManus says the woman was about to feed her grandson about 7 a.m. and went to her kitchen for his bottle.

She returned to find the two pit bulls attacking the baby.

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I cannot fathom the guilt this woman must feel.

I read this a while ago and was surprised when I checked again. I expected to see the stories about how they are such sweet dogs and someone must have mistreated them to make them attack that baby. The grandmother should never have left the baby where any dog could get to the baby, much less pit bulls with their history. They are so unpredictable I don't think a small child should ever be left alone with them.

I have two dogs and an infant, a German Shepherd and a Rough Collie. Both are very well behaved but despite my trust in them I will never leave them alone with any child, my own, my niece, ANY.


It's a shame what backyard breeding has done to one of the only truly American breeds. Where I am from in Dade county you cannot own one. I wish they would pass that law in Alachua as well as some legislation to prohibit dog chaining. How ridiculous that we must pass laws to keep people from being inhumane.

I feel tremendous pity for that Grandmother but I have gotta say, two pit bulls is a whole lot of dog for an older woman.

Two pit bulls. Shocking.

My prayers for this family.

A 2 year old was also mauled to death just the other day near Austin. The family was taking care of a friends pit. Evidently the little boy got up early and went outside

http://www.kvue.com/news/top/stories/032609kvue-child-mauled-eh.73bd3c77.html

I just DO NOT understand the appeal of these dogs.

There has to be more to this story. I know its hard for some to believe but this breed isnt a mean breed. Dogs arent born mean anymore then people are born to be murders. I actually hold this women responsible. I know thats mean to say but she should know the history of her own dogs. Did she get them from a shelter or a breeder? Were they know to attack others? Dogs no matter the breed just dont attack out of the blue one day there has to be a history with these dogs.Im also interested to know if she was update on the annual shots as well. And I would be interested in finding out if she raised them. I remember when it was dobermens,rotweilers among others that were labeled the same as these dogs now. Its pitbulls today and in the future another breed will come along to take its place. I have two of the sweetest pitbulls and I also have a rotweiler,german sheppard,doberman and 2 yorkies. I have two children that my dogs adore.Not to mention anyone that comes near them. My german shepard is cadaver canine. All my others are therapy canines. My prayers are with the family of this sweet angel.

I have owned 2 pit bulls over the years and they were some of the best family dogs I have ever owned.

I respectfully disagree Cuppy. Dogs don't have to be provoked, not in any way we understand. They do not think like we do and they can perceive the slightest thing as a provocation. ANd that goes for any dog, not just pits. Maybe it was the smell of the baby, or the sound of it crying. While I would never leave a child alone with any dog, I am sure the poor grandma never thought he would get attacked. God bless this family.

When I was a personal assistant for the owners of an organic coffee company I dogsat for two. They were dear to me but I have to say I don't understand the appeal of a breed that is so vilified. I imagine the problem with pits directly relates to their popularity and unscrupulous backyard breeding as well as the environments some of these dogs are raised in. It has happened with GSD's and Dalmations. Generally dog bites rise and swell with breed popularity.

teonspaleprincess said:

I respectfully disagree Cuppy. Dogs don't have to be provoked, not in any way we understand. They do not think like we do and they can perceive the slightest thing as a provocation. ANd that goes for any dog, not just pits. Maybe it was the smell of the baby, or the sound of it crying. While I would never leave a child alone with any dog, I am sure the poor grandma never thought he would get attacked. God bless this family.

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I also imagine the high chair smelled of baby and baby food.

cuppy199 said:

There has to be more to this story. I know its hard for some to believe but this breed isnt a mean breed. Dogs arent born mean anymore then people are born to be murders. I actually hold this women responsible. I know thats mean to say but she should know the history of her own dogs. Did she get them from a shelter or a breeder? Were they know to attack others? Dogs no matter the breed just dont attack out of the blue one day there has to be a history with these dogs.Im also interested to know if she was update on the annual shots as well. And I would be interested in finding out if she raised them. I remember when it was dobermens,rotweilers among others that were labeled the same as these dogs now. Its pitbulls today and in the future another breed will come along to take its place. I have two of the sweetest pitbulls and I also have a rotweiler,german sheppard,doberman and 2 yorkies. I have two children that my dogs adore.Not to mention anyone that comes near them. My german shepard is cadaver canine. All my others are therapy canines. My prayers are with the family of this sweet angel.

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I think all pit buls should be euthanized. Period. There have been WAY too many babies and chidlren mauled to DEATH by these breed dogs. I am SO sick of hearing "Oh but he/she is a GOOD dog" BS!! There aer some breeds that have a killer instinct in them. By nature not by nurture. I also beleive there are other breeds that should NEVER ever be left along with a child. Not because they are always in the news for killing babies but because they are bigger breed dogs and most are dogs that are of a watchdog breed. I don;t care how much a person loves their pit bull. At some point POPLE have to be SMART and NOT put their child or any NEIGHBOR child in jeopardy just because "he is such a sweet dog and we have never harmed him. Or becuase he has never hurt anyone, he will never hurt anyone. It is all in how thye are raised. Again BS. This breed should be erradicated. Period.

I do not understand why so many always want to make excuses for the DOGS when they attack humans. I don't want to hear about back-yard breeders, ignorant owners, blah, blah, blah. Dogs are animals. Animals may attack humans. Period.

Annie said:

I read this a while ago and was surprised when I checked again. I expected to see the stories about how they are such sweet dogs and someone must have mistreated them to make them attack that baby. The grandmother should never have left the baby where any dog could get to the baby, much less pit bulls with their history. They are so unpredictable I don't think a small child should ever be left alone with them.

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Pitbulls do not need to be mistreated to behave badly. They will also behave in wrong ways if they are untrained, and when they've been able to form a pack. A timid dog is also a sign to watch out.......they may just be needing someone smaller than themselves to pass the hurt along to.

I have a pit: I LOVE him, he is the sweetest thing! (There ya' go, Annie!) BUT we have taken plenty of steps to ensure his safety as well as the safety of others around him. He's muzzled in public, or when we've got visitors. He's never out of my yard without that muzzle and a really good leather leash. He's been through many training classes, he listens and obeys. BUT STILL when my son's ex-girlfriend brought her pit over, they INSTANTLY formed a pack. We had a cat that my dog LOVED, they slept together and my dog would cry when the cat was out of doors---he missed her. My pit and the other pit immediately began working in tandem to "herd" the cat into the corner. If I had not been home, they probably would have gotten her and killed her. One pit is way different from two.

I don't know WHY this grandmother left the boy alone with the dogs, but NEVER, NEVER, NEVER leave a child alone with ANY animal that has potential to cause harm. I'll be praying for her, because she is going to have a very, very hard time getting past this.

I have 2 Karelian Bear Dogs and a Border Collie cross who are great with people and kids but who will chase away or kill any other animal that comes on to the property. BUT, I would never leave them alone in a room with my little grand daughter or any other child. Dogs, although domesticated, are still animals and have different behaviors and social systems then we do. People MUST understand this or these tragedies will keep occuring.

kgeaux said:

Pitbulls do not need to be mistreated to behave badly. They will also behave in wrong ways if they are untrained, and when they've been able to form a pack. A timid dog is also a sign to watch out.......they may just be needing someone smaller than themselves to pass the hurt along to.

I have a pit: I LOVE him, he is the sweetest thing! (There ya' go, Annie!) BUT we have taken plenty of steps to ensure his safety as well as the safety of others around him. He's muzzled in public, or when we've got visitors. He's never out of my yard without that muzzle and a really good leather leash. He's been through many training classes, he listens and obeys. BUT STILL when my son's ex-girlfriend brought her pit over, they INSTANTLY formed a pack. We had a cat that my dog LOVED, they slept together and my dog would cry when the cat was out of doors---he missed her. My pit and the other pit immediately began working in tandem to "herd" the cat into the corner. If I had not been home, they probably would have gotten her and killed her. One pit is way different from two.

I don't know WHY this grandmother left the boy alone with the dogs, but NEVER, NEVER, NEVER leave a child alone with ANY animal that has potential to cause harm. I'll be praying for her, because she is going to have a very, very hard time getting past this.

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http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html

Pack behavior is very different than a solo dog, and can be really intensified in certain breeds. It effects prey drive behavior. The other thing that people do not seem to understand is that a baby's cry, squeals, etc can sound like a wounded animal to a dog. That can trigger an attack. Add in other pack factors; food, attention, status and it can go wrong really quickly.

As a side note I don't believe in breed bans. Most people cannot even identify a pitbull accurately. Who decides what the dog is? Your local shelter workers? I see misidentified dogs all the time. Not to mention it is just a bandaid law that makes lawmakers look good and the public feel better. You could ban pits across the country and someone would cross breed a new replacement for the breed and we would be right back where we are now. Animals just like people are sometimes not right. And dogs just like people are also a reflection of their environment. Neither of those issues will be resolved with breed ban legislation.

www.dogbitelaw.com

good stats and info on this website.

Oh man, great link, JB. Thanks for that, I have it bookmarked now.

I understand the argument against breed bans. I also own what is often second on the list of dogs that are more likely to bite, a German Shepherd. There is no doubt in my mind that my dog would bite someone he perceived as an assailant. That's just the sort of dog he is. I have never encouraged him to be anything other than a gentle giant. My first GSD was a Therapy Dog. My second came almost seeming to need therapy. I have a fabulous trainer and we have made remarkable strides. He was jipped though, in many ways by being a family dog instead of a working dog. He'd sniff for anything all day long. My dad has a blood scenting dog he does deer recovery with and the few times he's worked with my GSD really made me realize that.

That being said my yard is privacy fenced. My gate has a lock and I have a number of signs. When I push my son around my neighborhood in his stroller I am often confronted by aggressive dogs tied to trees or behind shoddy fencing. Most, if not all of the dogs are pit bull or obvious pit bull mixes. I now feel uncomfortable walking with my baby without my husband or a baseball bat. So what can I do? I am a responsible dog owner. Why must my rights be compromised? I just want to burn some calories and get some sun without fear.

There is a group in my area that offers bully-specific dog training at a reduced price and pit bulls and bull mixes can be spayed for free. This has done little to improve the situation for pit bulls and concerning neighbors of pit bull owners in my opinion. I honestly feel a breed ban would at least limit the numbers of these dogs. Perhaps a bully breed could be something you could apply for licensing for? Sure it could, in my perfect world! (Quit laughing.:crazy You need a license to keep venomous snakes as "pets." This is done to protect citizens. ...Don't get me started on reptiles though or there will be a tangent about invasive species coming your way.

Maybe a compromise could be achieved if more citizens reported the dangerous dogs in their neighborhood? Maybe if steeper fines and punishments were levied less dog attacks would occur? Maybe changing the stereotype associated with these dogs through television programs could make some strides? Maybe if the famous people that fight dogs or are cited for animal cruelty are revealed as the monsters they are it would improve the world for man and man's best friend?

My Mom now owns a pit bull because she took on the dog my stepbrother was neglecting. :bang: He's a good dog. I know many pits are. I almost feel that a breed ban could preserve the integrity and restore this breed to the dogs most of us speak about from personal experience. The dogs we love. The dogs we should care about enough to respect.

A couple of years ago, I decided to take advantage of a beautiful, crisp morning by venturing out for a walk...

I had just reached the end of our long drive-way, when two dogs, both pitbulls, tore across the street directly at me. I stopped walking, frozen in terror. They were hunched down, one more aggresive than the other, and seemed like they were 'egging' each other on. They kept moving back and forth, side to side, and getting closer and closer to me each time.

They were snarling, growling, baring their teeth, ... I can't even put into words how frightened I was.

My (now deceased) boyfriend knew I had left for a walk, and heard our own two dogs (big, happy, friendly mutts we had rescued from the shelter), who were secured in our yard behind a tall fence, going crazy, barking in a way he said he had never heard them bark before.

He later told me he had an instant feeling I was in danger, just didn't have time to even wonder what the danger could be.

He grabbed the keys to his 4Runner, raced down the driveway, to find these pitbulls that were on the verge of flat out attacking me. He screeched the vehicle right up to within inches of the dogs and me, blaring his horn the whole way, jumped out of the vehicle, yelling and waving his arms at the dogs, he physically ran right up to them before they finally retreated.

I'm not exaggerating when I say those were some of the absolute scariest minutes of my life. The fear and vulnerability were extreme and intense.

If he had taken even a minute longer to literally rescue me, I have no doubt those two dogs would have torn me to shreds... and, I had done NOTHING AT ALL to provoke them.

I have been an animal lover my entire life, and still am. Aside from this one time, I have never had a negative encounter with an animal.

But, this one experience was enough to change my opinion of pitbulls, forever.

I am a grown woman. A defenseless infant or child couldn't have a chance.