4-year-old killed in pit bull attack

[GNBRETT]

my thoughts are that there are FAR more two legged animals killing kids every year then there are all dogs put together. just sayn.....

 

[Argilbertson]

I watched a show that pointed out something interesting: every time a dog attack involving a "pit bull type" (Remember, "Pit Bull" isn't a breed, its an arbitrary designation) dog occurs, they say "Pit Bull" in the headline. Any time a dog attack not involving a "pit bull type" dog happens, the breed is not specified. The Conclusion? It's an organized effort to engender fear for these specific types of dogs.

 

[mymaster]

What good is a fence that cant keep out a 4 y/o?

kind of what i was thinking ???

 

[fallenarch]

I wont keep a dog that will attack children, or really anyone. If you have a guard dog or working dog it should be inside the house or in a kennel.

Yes the kid should not have been there, and as much blame if not more lies with the family of the child.

But who keeps a dog, unsupervised, on a chain, in a neighborhood, that would kill a child? Theres some fault in the dogs owner as well. The dog killed a child, it needs to be put down.

Any dog can kill a child. I see your point but you never know when something will pull out the aggression in a dog. My dogs are lovable family oriented mutts but my rule is they don't play with kids without supervision. However it does seem the dog in this case was properly restrained. The only question I have is how did the kid get close to the dog? Also that was one brave 9 year old to pull the kid away from an attacking dog. Still, after a dog tastes human blood.......

 

[MelodicMetalGod]

Kill the animal, leaving the owner to go out the same day and get a new animal that they'll train/treat/raise in the same exact manner. Where is the logic?

This is just like blaming a shooting on the gun. In all likelihood, the owner treated/trained/raised/abused the animal to bring about such behavior in the animal. In all likelihood, the parents of the child were irresponsible on some level to allow the child to get itself into such a circumstance. Tragically, the innocent animal and the innocent child will pay the ultimate price for the poor judgement and irresponsibility of those whom they relied upon for care and guidance. While innocents will take the blame and have their lives cut short, those that are truly responsible will suffer no further consequence and, ironically, the dog owner will be free to go collect another animal and the parents will still be entrusted with the care of a child.

Not to overlook the tragedy of the situation, but this is why we continue to have the same problems over and over. We simply don't hold accountable those that are truly responsible.

 

[MelodicMetalGod]

my thoughts are that there are FAR more two legged animals killing kids every year then there are all dogs put together. just sayn.....

What this guy said!

 

[1busa]

Why do you Assume the dog was trained improperly or taught to attack small children? You were not there nor do you know why the dog attacked and did what it did. I remember growing up there was certain dogs in the neighborhood that would not allow you to come in the yard with out the owners present. If they were there the dogs were as friendly as can be. But let a ball or some kind of toy go into their yard and they not be there the dogs let it be known you were not welcome. I honestly don't see a problem with this. Some people purchase large breed dogs to protect them and their property. Now if this specific dog has a rap sheet of breaking loose and biting random people this would be a different discussion. However a 4year old might not understand growling and bared teeth means stay away don't come any closer. That was the parents responsibility to make sure their child was never put in harms way.

 

[m_ridgeway]

Why do you Assume the dog was trained improperly or taught to attack small children? You were not there nor do you know why the dog attacked and did what it did. I remember growing up there was certain dogs in the neighborhood that would not allow you to come in the yard with out the owners present. If they were there the dogs were as friendly as can be. But let a ball or some kind of toy go into their yard and they not be there the dogs let it be known you were not welcome. I honestly don't see a problem with this. Some people purchase large breed dogs to protect them and their property. Now if this specific dog has a rap sheet of breaking loose and biting random people this would be a different discussion. However a 4year old might not understand growling and bared teeth means stay away don't come any closer. That was the parents responsibility to make sure their child was never put in harms way.

youre missing the point of what I'm saying and twisting my words.

If you have a dog, have a good fence. I hope you can at least get that out of my posts. The rest is deff lost on you.

 

[fallenarch]

my thoughts are that there are FAR more two legged animals killing kids every year then there are all dogs put together. just sayn.....

That's profound dude.

 

[Projekt]

I wont keep a dog that will attack children, or really anyone. If you have a guard dog or working dog it should be inside the house or in a kennel.

Yes the kid should not have been there, and as much blame if not more lies with the family of the child.

But who keeps a dog, unsupervised, on a chain, in a neighborhood, that would kill a child? Theres some fault in the dogs owner as well. The dog killed a child, it needs to be put down.

As much as I hate to agree due to the tragic nature of it all, this is precisely my thought progression as well. This is like the gun issue, if it is used in the killing of innocence, it will be removed and disposed of. This rather than the correct chain of events that includes a six sigma/continuous improvement process analysis that results in eradication of cause by fundamental change and attention to the overall precursor. It all looks like the wild west and stinks of lynching or crucifixion and the ones causing it are not the dogs it is the media hellbent on removing powerful but untrained or poorly socialized dogs from the gene pool. What kind of example of man's best friend is so unbalanced and savage that it kills a boy? It needs to die for the better of the breed but the owners also need to take a serious ass whoopin.

Now to address the parents or lack of when it comes to the deceased child. Criminal charges for negligence need to be pushed with the same fierce killer instinct that will terminate a canine without hesitation. By the way, does anyone actually believe that the canine perpetrator in this killing would have made it through the night with a baseball bat or hammer penetrating its skull?

 

[PAPA SNOW]

This wouldn't even be a topic for discussion had the 'parents'(term used loosly) let their 4 yr old go into the ocean for a swim unsupervised, and a shark made the attack,,,,???

 

[Projekt]

Interesting comparison. I like it, there is inherent risk in anything and the boy obviously was limitless due to poor parenting and probably poked at the dog or just offered him something interesting to go after.

 

[1busa]

I didn't miss any point nor did I twist your words. I merely believe that your "words" are vague and unrealistic. Have you personally seen the fence that kept in the pitbull? No you haven't........so your words are not fact but rather opinion based on assumption which holds little to no merit to prove a point. So in actuality I'm not the 1 who is lost. My point is whether the fence is 4ft tall with holes in it or a 12 high high electric fence surrounded by a triple stack of constantine wire if the 4year old child was properly supervised none of us would be engaging in this debate. That my friend is not speculation nor biased opinion but and honest to God fact

 

[GoldenChild]

Parents fault period...The dog was doing the same as the parents, minding it's own business until interrupted.. They should put the parents down, how you trust a 9 year old that's playing on one side of the yard to watch another

 

[m_ridgeway]

I didn't miss any point nor did I twist your words. I merely believe that your "words" are vague and unrealistic. Have you personally seen the fence that kept in the pitbull? No you haven't........so your words are not fact but rather opinion based on assumption which holds little to no merit to prove a point. So in actuality I'm not the 1 who is lost. My point is whether the fence is 4ft tall with holes in it or a 12 high high electric fence surrounded by a triple stack of constantine wire if the 4year old child was properly supervised none of us would be engaging in this debate. That my friend is not speculation nor biased opinion but and honest to God fact

Say what you want, but its the world we live in today.

id like to see a pic of the fence, but I can't. A pretty good assumption could be drawn from the inability to prevent people from entering a yard, much less children.

sorry if it comes off as vague, but I get lost sometimes posting on this phone. I can't convey my point in the greatest manner.

not saying it's the way things should be, but in todays world you should protect you and your belongings. This means animals as well. I've got into it with the city for incidents, not as bad, but on the same lines as this. I accept the fact, in a residential area, its my responsibility to protect myself from people entering my property and the sueing me into the poorhouse.

After a dog has killed a child, what should be done with it? No matter what happens its a cruel situation.

and youre dead right, the parents should be in serious trouble and have their children removed. They are the ones ultimately responsible. If your dog killed a child, could you really say youre ok with it because it was in your yard? I would deff feel guilty. Thats where my stance on the dog owners responsibility comes in.

 

[Busa1166]

Let's all take a deep breath and relax guys. Nothing said here can change what happened

 

[1busa]

Hey its cool, I like to engage in a healthy debate. No shots fired here.... I do agree with some of what ridgeway is saying and it appears that he agrees with some of my points as well. That being said, to answer your question yes I would feel bad if a child was killed whether in my yard or somebody elses that I knew due to negligence that could have been easily prevented. It makes me mad for 1 a childs life was lost but 2 all the anger and focus is being put on the dog and the dog owner due to sympathy for the parents loss of a child. In the back of everybody's mind whether they are voicing it or not is "where were the parents?" The fact of the matter is the dog will more than likely get put down just to pacify the mobs lust for vengeance. The owner will probably not fight it either because he will not want to be know as the guy who has a "killer" pitbull.

 

[dadofthree]

I understand what your saying but at the same time the dog was only defending itself and it's house. I'm sure the owners didn't think the dog would kill anyone. At the same time, I have two great danes that live in my backyard when I'm not home. If they don't know you and you walk into they're yard, I fear bad things will happen. I have taken all reasonable precautions, 6' solid wood fence and so on. So does that mean if someone walks into they're yard (trust me the dogs will warn them first) and they kill him/her, it is my fault for having a big dog?
Thats the direction this is heading is, It's the owners fault because they have a "dangerous pit bull". If so I don't want to hear it. That dog is no more dangerous then my boston terrier. She only weighs in at ten pounds by the way. The only time you will see a mean dog (pit bull included) is they are trained or treated in such a manner that makes them mean. Yes they do have that little trigger in they're mind but all dogs do. It's called primal instinct. however most dogs won't use that trigger unless trained or provoked.
Thats not to say a dog can't go bad but in most cases it just doesn't happen. In this one the dog was protecting his house.

Talk to your insurance company. Make sure you're covered or you could loose everything.

 

[lankeeyankee]

I have an American Bulldog (Pitbull family) He is very protective in his territory. When I installing my fence I took no short cuts with the gauge of wire, size of posts and the amount of concrete. I also posted signs around the complete permitier reading GAURD DOG ON DUTY DONT PET..

This is parents fault and they should be held for criminal charges of Child Neglect!!!!
I was a child growing up in development with a German Shepard on one side and the other neighbor had a Doberman Pincher. I in no way ever thought of jumping the fence into either yard and was taught from my parents about the danger.

Uthinize the parents for being stupid and not caring enough about there child.

 

[Projekt]

I watched a show that pointed out something interesting: every time a dog attack involving a "pit bull type" (Remember, "Pit Bull" isn't a breed, its an arbitrary designation) dog occurs, they say "Pit Bull" in the headline. Any time a dog attack not involving a "pit bull type" dog happens, the breed is not specified. The Conclusion? It's an organized effort to engender fear for these specific types of dogs.

Exactly and moreover, it is targeted at the race/culture/language/lifestyle of their owners who more often than not a minorities that still believe in the value of a fierce dog as the first line of defense... They try to take your guns and even want to take your guard dog out of the picture. Screw it, I am going to start breeding them and cutting them loose for free to anyone that has a good fence and promises never to tie them out on a chain.

Going to breed all the big dogs from chow to akita and Neapolitan to Tibetan mastiff to include all the big cattle and Wolf Derived varieties that are over 120 pounds.. We'll see who tries to step across the threshold then.