Two month old killed by family lab

[believe09]

If that had been a pit bull puppy instead of a lab everyone would be screaming that the entire breed be exterminated.

I guess this tragedy shows that ALL large breed dogs pose a risk when they are owned by irresponsible people who don't safeguard their own children.

How about all animals pose a risk when they are owned by irresponsible people who don't safeguard their own children. Not putting words in your mouth, just refining your post to fit my thoughts in general about this subject...

 

[pixies]

With 3 adults in the house and no one heard the baby crying and screaming?
I am soooo not buying that. Something else is going on in that house and instead of putting the dog down they should put the "adults" down.

LE better investigate this one again.

 

[lizzybeth]

With 3 adults in the house and no one heard the baby crying and screaming?
I am soooo not buying that. Something else is going on in thatat house and instead of putting the dog down they should put the "adults" down.

LE better investigate this one again.

I thought the same thing pixies. I was just afraid to say it.

 

[gracefuljf1505]

I am sorry but these parents and grandmother need to be charged with neglect!!!!!!! You do not leave a child alone like that i dont care how old they are!!!!If you have a child one of you stays with the child in the room they are in or take them with you to the other room!!! someone should always be there to see the child!!!!! and i cant believe that noone heard this child crying!!!! or as many of you have said that a 6 week old puppy could reach that swing!!! somthing is wrong!!!

 

[TGIRecovered]

I hope they do a thorough autopsy.

I think something else killed the baby, then someone got the dog to chew on the body to make it look like the pup did it.

You are not supposed to leave babies in carseats or swings for extended periods of time because their esophogaus can become constricted, causing suffocation. Eight weeks is too young to risk leaving them in an upright position unattended for any length of time. Come to think of it, suffocation is a silent death. Maybe that is why no one heard a thing.

Susan

 

[SLP]

Too many things about this story bug me . If the puppy was only 6 weeks old it should have been with its momma not running around a 2 month old baby unsupervised. Most puppies are not even weaned yet at 6 weeks old and if they are I would never take one home that young. Most reputable breeders do not sell them that young either. They need more time with their parent(s) and littermates to learn bite inhibition and social skills.

Also remembering my Great Dane pup (that was much bigger and heavier than a lab pup) at that age it seems odd that a puppy that young could maul a baby to death in the time it would be appropriate to leave a baby without checking on it. My puppy was wobbly, clumsy and slept a lot at that age (so not exactly killer attack dog material) but maybe lab pups are different? I would think though at 6 weeks they should be even more weak and clumsy.

I am sad that the dog was put down though. I know they that they have to after a tragedy like this but it is hard to imagine a scenario where the 6 week old puppy was the one at fault. Hopefully the police can find out more of the story after interviewing the other people in the house.

 

[sandraladeda]

If that had been a pit bull puppy instead of a lab everyone would be screaming that the entire breed be exterminated.

I guess this tragedy shows that ALL large breed dogs pose a risk when they are owned by irresponsible people who don't safeguard their own children.

I was waiting for the Pit Bull Fan Club to chime in - "see? Other dogs kill too!"

If it had been a pit bull, everyone would have been calling for a ban on the breed because they have seen thread after thread here about pit bulls killing and maiming. Pit Bulls kill and maim out of their innate viciousness. If this baby was indeed killed by the lab puppy, it was not, imo, out of any innate viciousness on the part of the lab, but out of a puppy gnawing on a crying, flailing creature, as puppies will do.

I doubt this puppy would have gone on to be a vicious dog.

imo

 

[Medea]

I was waiting for the Pit Bull Fan Club to chime in - "see? Other dogs kill too!"

If it had been a pit bull, everyone would have been calling for a ban on the breed because they have seen thread after thread here about pit bulls killing and maiming. Pit Bulls kill and maim out of their innate viciousness. If this baby was indeed killed by the lab puppy, it was not, imo, out of any innate viciousness on the part of the lab, but out of a puppy gnawing on a crying, flailing creature, as puppies will do.

I doubt this puppy would have gone on to be a vicious dog.

imo

Oh really. Double standard much?

People have seen thread after thread about pit bulls because the media covers any pit bull attack and nobody bothers to cover any other dog bites. The same way all you ever read about are stranger rapes even though 80% of rapes are between people who know each other or stranger child abductions that get 24/7 media coverage even though the chances of this are infinitessimal when compared to a child abused by a family or friend. The media prefers the most sensational case they can find.

Pit bulls do not kill and maime people out of any innate visciousness toward humans. I'm sorry to say you are uninformed. In fact, part of the reason pit bulls are used by dog fighters is that they ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE TOWARD HUMANS by nature, they are bred to be aggressive toward other dogs.

A pit bull puppy would have been doing exactly the same thing this lab puppy did and the fault would have been with the parents and not the dog if it had been a pit bull puppy instead of a lab puppy.

 

[sandraladeda]

Why this story is fishy to me -
1. I have owned baby swings, and they are too tall for a puppy to reach (what? Did the puppy jump up and gnaw the legs off the baby?)

2. I have owned golden retrievers, size-wise, virtually the same as labs. A 6 week old would not be able to inflict this kind of harm, especially to a baby in a swing.

3. I have had babies. Unless the baby was abandoned for a very long time by the parents/gramma, the first "bite" (had the dog somehow leapt high enough to bite) would have caused the baby to howl so loudly, anyone in the vicinity would have heard. It would have taken a heck of a lot for alone time for the dog to be able to bite the child to death.

IMO, the investigation will reveal another cause of death, and the dog got blamed.

 

[sandraladeda]

Yes, I think the media is conspiring against pit bulls. They are so misunderstood!

We will have to agree to disagree.

Personally, if I were to walk down the street and be approached by a lab, I would be a lot less afraid than if I were to be approached by a pit bull.

moo

 

[ember]

I am mad as he!! that they put that puppy down! The puppy was probably just playing and didn't understand that it was hurting the baby. The parents should have been watching this child. Puppy bites can be rough...but I don't think it meant that it would have grown up to be an aggressive dog. The wrong creature was held responsible in this instance.:furious:

I feel very very bad for that poor baby and wish this would not have happened BUT this puppy was put to death while the 3 adults in the house, who should have been responsible for this child, are still out there and able to procreate again. :furious:

 

[lizzybeth]

I hope they do a thorough autopsy.

I think something else killed the baby, then someone got the dog to chew on the body to make it look like the pup did it.

You are not supposed to leave babies in carseats or swings for extended periods of time because their esophogaus can become constricted, causing suffocation. Eight weeks is too young to risk leaving them in an upright position unattended for any length of time. Come to think of it, suffocation is a silent death. Maybe that is why no one heard a thing.

Susan

That's something I hadn't thought of. The baby could have died of suffocation (no crying) and the baby was left there long enough for the puppy to chew on the toes (I'm sorry for being graphic) or something. I looks like LE could determine whether any of those bites were lethal though. I'm still not buying that a six wk. old puppy could do this.

 

[Medea]

Yes, I think the media is conspiring against pit bulls. They are so misunderstood!

We will have to agree to disagree.

Personally, if I were to walk down the street and be approached by a lab, I would be a lot less afraid than if I were to be approached by a pit bull.

moo

That may be, but just because you think something is true doesn't make it true, I think you are more likely to be struck by lightening than suffer a fatal dog bite. There are I believe over 60 million dogs in the US and about 20 people a year are killed by dogs, with half of those fatalities coming from non pit bulls. I'm very happy with those odds.

Uninformed, non factual, hysterical prejudice is always sad, whether it is against countries, races, lifestyles or even, god forbid, a dog breed.

IMO

 

[angelmom]

Why this story is fishy to me -
1. I have owned baby swings, and they are too tall for a puppy to reach (what? Did the puppy jump up and gnaw the legs off the baby?)

2. I have owned golden retrievers, size-wise, virtually the same as labs. A 6 week old would not be able to inflict this kind of harm, especially to a baby in a swing.

3. I have had babies. Unless the baby was abandoned for a very long time by the parents/gramma, the first "bite" (had the dog somehow leapt high enough to bite) would have caused the baby to howl so loudly, anyone in the vicinity would have heard. It would have taken a heck of a lot for alone time for the dog to be able to bite the child to death.

IMO, the investigation will reveal another cause of death, and the dog got blamed.

ITA with everything you posted and want to add one more thing.

I am very wary of pit bulls, but would be saying the same exact things if it were a 6 week old pit bull puppy. Any dog that age is a baby! Their teeth do sting, but more like sharp pins not the tearing jaws of an adult dog.

I don't believe this story for one minute, and for that dog to have been put down without further investigation stinks to high heaven! I know adult dogs who have bitten more than once - with witnesses! - who have been given a week for an investigation before a decision was made.

 

[Medea]

ITA with everything you posted and want to add one more thing.

I am very wary of pit bulls, but would be saying the same exact things if it were a 6 week old pit bull puppy. Any dog that age is a baby! Their teeth do sting, but more like sharp pins not the tearing jaws of an adult dog.

I don't believe this story for one minute, and for that dog to have been put down without further investigation stinks to high heaven! I know adult dogs who have bitten more than once - with witnesses! - who have been given a week for an investigation before a decision was made.

I assume it was the owner's decision to have the dog killed, so there isn't much you can do about it.

I would also hope that police are able to determine if the baby had significant dog bites or not...

But, I do doubt very much the baby was in a swing when attacked...possibly left outside on a blanket or something or attacked inside the house and the family lied and said baby was in the swing.

 

[imthemom]

I assume it was the owner's decision to have the dog killed, so there isn't much you can do about it.

I would also hope that police are able to determine if the baby had significant dog bites or not...

But, I do doubt very much the baby was in a swing when attacked...possibly left outside on a blanket or something or attacked inside the house and the family lied and said baby was in the swing.

I have been thinking about the swing thing and there are the portable swings that sit almost on the ground. I was most likely one of those kind. The parents are very much at fault here, IMO, not the puppy. Puppy teeth and claws can do much damage when excited. They should have known better than to leave the baby and the puppy alone. I don't even leave my 4 month old puppy alone in another room, let alone my 2 month old baby!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=7732465

Here is a pic of a travel swing.

 

[sandraladeda]

An interesting website with statistics on vicious dog attacks....

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/danger.htm#homicides

From link:


In recent years, the dogs responsible for the bulk of the homicides are pit bulls and Rottweilers:

"Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67% of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.)

</STRONG>
​

 

[Medea]

An interesting website with statistics on vicious dog attacks....

http://www.dogbitelaw.com/PAGES/danger.htm#homicides

From link:


In recent years, the dogs responsible for the bulk of the homicides are pit bulls and Rottweilers:

"Studies indicate that pit bull-type dogs were involved in approximately a third of human DBRF (i.e., dog bite related fatalities) reported during the 12-year period from 1981 through1992, and Rottweilers were responsible for about half of human DBRF reported during the 4 years from 1993 through 1996....[T]he data indicate that Rottweilers and pit bull-type dogs accounted for 67&#37; of human DBRF in the United States between 1997 and 1998. It is extremely unlikely that they accounted for anywhere near 60% of dogs in the United States during that same period and, thus, there appears to be a breed-specific problem with fatalities." (Sacks JJ, Sinclair L, Gilchrist J, Golab GC, Lockwood R. Breeds of dogs involved in fatal human attacks in the United States between 1979 and 1998. JAVMA 2000;217:836-840.)

</STRONG>
​

This is I think the Clifton study, and if you read the fine print you will see they got these statistics from MEDIA REPORTS....which makes them worth virtually nothing.

This is from the same site:

An older study published in the Journal of Pediatrics reported 109 fatalities from 1989 to 1994 in the US, with 37% inflicted by pit bulls and Rottweilers. (Sacks JJ, Lockwood R, Hornreich J, Sattin RW. Fatal dog attacks, 1989-1994. Pediatrics 1996; 97:891-5.)

-------

This study was conducted by a reputable organization using accurate date and found that 37% of fatal dog bites were from pits or rotweillers, that leaves SIXTY THREE PERCENT of fatalities by other breeds.....

------------

Maybe pit bulls and rottweillers do attack more frequently, but using media coverage as the baseline data point is scientifically worthless.

It also doesn't account for any variables such as the dog being chained, abused, teased, neutered or not..that may have as much more more of an affect as the breed of dog.

60 million dogs--20 fatalities a year, with more than half coming from non pit bulls and non rotweillers, even by your own estimate......

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't find this particularly compelling....especially in light of say the real world experience of the Michael Vick dogs that were definitely abused and bred for aggression, and don't you know half of them have been adopted with some becoming service dogs, one of them goes to the hospital to visit sick children. He must be sooooo ferocious.....

 

[sandraladeda]

This is I think the Clifton study, and if you read the fine print you will see they got these statistics from MEDIA REPORTS....which makes them worth virtually nothing.

This is from the same site:

An older study published in the Journal of Pediatrics reported 109 fatalities from 1989 to 1994 in the US, with 37% inflicted by pit bulls and Rottweilers. (Sacks JJ, Lockwood R, Hornreich J, Sattin RW. Fatal dog attacks, 1989-1994. Pediatrics 1996; 97:891-5.)

-------

This study was conducted by a reputable organization using accurate date and found that 37% of fatal dog bites were from pits or rotweillers, that leaves SIXTY THREE PERCENT of fatalities by other breeds.....

------------

Maybe pit bulls and rottweillers do attack more frequently, but using media coverage as the baseline data point is scientifically worthless.

It also doesn't account for any variables such as the dog being chained, abused, teased, neutered or not..that may have as much more more of an affect as the breed of dog.

60 million dogs--20 fatalities a year, with more than half coming from non pit bulls and non rotweillers, even by your own estimate......

Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't find this particularly compelling....especially in light of say the real world experience of the Michael Vick dogs that were definitely abused and bred for aggression, and don't you know half of them have been adopted with some becoming service dogs, one of them goes to the hospital to visit sick children. He must be sooooo ferocious.....

What statistics are you using to base you passion for Pit Bulls? anecdotal? "My little baby pit wouldn't hurt a flea?"

I am saddened but not surpried that you "don't find this particularly compelling", but I am pretty certain it is very compelling to the victims and their families. imo

I would love to see a credible reference to the Vick's dogs doing hospital visits - I assume it came from a more reputable source than "media coverage".

 

[Medea]

What statistics are you using to base you passion for Pit Bulls? anecdotal? "My little baby pit wouldn't hurt a flea?"

I am saddened but not surpried that you "don't find this particularly compelling", but I am pretty certain it is very compelling to the victims and their families. imo

I would love to see a credible reference to the Vick's dogs doing hospital visits - I assume it came from a more reputable source than "media coverage".

I just gave you a statistic from the web site that you linked to that says pit bulls and rottweillers combined account for 37% of fatal dog injuries...what about 63% of fatal dog attacks coming from other breeds are you not following?

What about the statistics that there are over 60 million dogs, of which 2% are said to be pit bulls...that makes 12 million pit bulls in the US of which group about 15 dogs killed someone....fatal dog attacks are less comon than getting struck by lightening.

I don't contest that the media reports are FALSE, only that you cannot conduct an accurate study when you are basing your analysis on media reports.

Based on media reports I would think that murder was a bigger problem than burglary, but I know that is not true....however murders always get covered and burglaries don't...hence if I did a "study" on crime in the US and I based it ONLY on media reports I would conclude that murder, stranger rape and child abduction were the most common crimes..which is totally false.

Here's a link to the story on Vick's dogs...it even has a picture of one of those killer pit bulls in a party hat.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/07/06/ST2008070602429.html