Newborn killed by family's pit bull terrier

[cbdo2007]

Newborn killed by family's pit bull terrier

By the CNN Wire Staff
October 26, 2010 2:48 p.m. EDT

(CNN) -- A 4-day-old died after being attacked by his family's pit bull terrier Sunday evening at his home in Jacksonville, Florida, according to John Harrell, a spokesman with the Florida's Department of Children and Family.

The infant's father told CNN affiliate WJXT he and the baby's mother only left the child alone for a few seconds when the attack occurred.

Jacksonville Sheriff's office along with Florida's child welfare agency are investigating the incident as a child death.

The state agency will determine if the child was unsupervised and for how long.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/26/florida.infant.killed/index.html?hpt=T2

[virgogal]

1. That's all it takes---a few seconds. Sad,sad story.

[flvegan]

2. How very, very sad.

They lost their newborn child and their dog over carelessness. I feel for them.

[HillbillyBob]

23. Thats terrible. I feel for them

you cannot leave a baby for a second with a dog especially if the dog has never seen a baby before.
We have 5 rescues only one is sort of aggressive towards children and it does not go beyond standing there and barking, she has a problem with little males whether human or puppy. She will ignore small females. She does not offer to bite, but she is a very smart dog she is my aide dog and is better behaved than most peoples kids. She stops barking when I tell her enough. I try to keep her from barking at kids out..they always want to pet her.
She is Springer-Aussie cattle dog mix there is a lot of Dingo in there too. # 2 and #3 are herding mixes, the last 2 are hunting mix and a purebreed beagle who was abandoned.

Dogs will take cues from you and they should have introduced them to children before.
I will neither bash nor apologize pit bulls, they have to be socialized.
Dora my aid dog is well socialized due to being out in public. #2 the collie /ret mix is also just a mush and will go to anyone, #3 the Collie/ Maremma mix is a big white dog..she does not like anyone much but could not be too bothered other than herd the kids, people, dogs, bunnies. #4 is a whineriner/rotti, mush not a mean bone in her. and the beagle is still too soon to tell, he seems to be coming along sweet and would make a little boy a great dog and I believe he is trained to hunt. The White dog gets him to sniff out mice for her.
They are usually pretty well adjusted after being here for a couple years. Dora and the Whineriner(sic) we have had since 6 and 8 wks, they were not wanted. The elder collie was 8 9 mos and had been in a cage with 4 dingoes for 4mos.
The collie maremma mix was in really bad shape, she had been beaten, starved and traumatized and was about 8 months. The beagle I have on good authority was frequently kicked and he still about bends in half to try to get attention. #2 3 and 5 were all starved but 3 and 5 were also neglected and physically abused.

[shireen]

67. thank you for taking care of them ...

:hug:

[shireen]

66. +1

[ejpoeta]

3. omg! we only have a cat..... iand our youngest is now 13 mos.

that poor family!

[Hawkowl]

4. Poor dog

I'm sure the dog didn't even know that the baby was human or part of the family. A shame he wasn't socialized to be around kids before they brought their child home. A tragedy all around for these people.

[ecstatic]

12. -1 nt

[CTyankee]

17. similar story in New Haven. they think that dogs regard

a newborn more as food...that shocked me at first, but when you think about it....

[Cali_Democrat]

25. Poor dog?

:wtf:

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kalyke]

92. Yes... the dog will now die for behaving as a dog.

I have dogs... the legal limit in my city and trained them during my pregnancy to accept their new sub-pack leader.

This dog was never led. And now it will die because people think dogs are human and not dogs. And a human child died because these people think dogs are human and not dogs.

[Barack_America]

75. Poor family, dog included.

Never, never leave an infant alone with a dog, especially not so soon after being introduced.

[GSLevel9]

5. pit bull bashing starts in 3...2...1... nt

[DrDan]

7. quickly followed by the pit bull apologists in . . . . .3 . . . . 2 . . . .

[GSLevel9]

10. btw... if I was bringing a newborn in the house

I don't care if my dog was Lassie... I wouldn't allow the dog access to the baby.

It seriously makes you wonder about the parents... is it stupidity or ignorance to leave a 4 day old baby alone with any dog?

[sammytko]

16. exactly - don't care what kind of pet - cat, dog, monkey

keep them separated til the baby gets a bit bigger.

[DrDan]

18. that should include all pets - including cats

yes - you certainly have to wonder about these parents.

Pets are protective - and a baby receiving all this attention will certainly be seen as an invasion on the family.

[Arkansas Granny]

20. You're right. My dog is one of the sweetest I've ever had and has never

shown any aggression of any kind towards a human in her 11 years, but I'd never leave her alone with an infant. All of her interactions with small children have been supervised, for their protection and hers, also.

[petronius]

28. I think people sort of forget that this companion animal, which is always around and

friendly towards them, really doesn't think the way we do. There could be other issues, but it would be a pretty small lapse in the bustle of bringing home a new baby to forget that the dog may not know what is and what isn't a member of the family. Tragic, but I see it like most of the baby-in-car stories - a mistake that a lot of us could make but with horrifically large consequences...

[donheld]

38. Did you ever read "Marley & Me"

Marley was a horrible dog, but was wonderful with babies, as are most dogs.

[applegrove]

85. Dogs don't kill people......Only Dog owners kill people.

:sarcasm:

[Kalyke]

93. Actually,,,, that's true. eom

[DrDan]

6. what an absolute shame . . . .so sad

I cannot imagine what that child had to endure during this attack.

Had an incident at a neighbor's house a couple of weeks ago - involving their pit bull - "just a gentle pet - sleeps with the children - would never harm a soul".

Well . . . the dog attacked a police officer at the front door. . . . and was quickly put down . . . .

Now, of course, the family is bringing suit.

[cbdo2007]

14. "dog attacked a police officer" - can be interpreted different ways

Our dog would go crazy if someone came to the door too, and especially if a man entered, she would bark her head off. I wouldn't consider this an "attack" but I'm sure a police officer would feel threatened and would shoot my girl down in an instant, even without any physical contact.

[Sweet Charming Dem]

19. Yep, a lot of cops will shoot first and ask questions later with a dog

There was an article on here recently about a lab who was shot in the backyard for barking at a cop.

[Sweet Charming Dem]

15. Lots of dogs would go after a police officer at the front door

It's a stranger, who is likely to be acting in an aggressive manner.

[meow mix]

8. some breeds are like having a loaded gun, except it has its own tiny brain

and makes its own decisions. not really a good idea.

[GSLevel9]

21. I have more experience than 99% of this board on dog handling...

For more than 5 years I've been a volunteer dog exerciser/walker/socializer at a no-kill private shelter with 100-150 dogs at all times.

I've been around them all... big and small. There's very little logic to what breeds are dangerous.

I personally have more than a little trepidation around GSD's. Pit Bulls and their ilk are easy to read. You can see a bad one from across the kennel.

I've been bit to the point of needing stitches 3 times. Once was a OE Bulldog, once by a purebred GSD and once by a GSD mix.

I find all the molosser breeds to be quite peaceful. That'd be everyone from mastiffs to Great Danes to Boxers, etc...

In addition, Hunting dogs like Retrievers and such are mostly nice if a bit nervous/hyperactive.

Bottom line...

I don't see a difference in dog BREEDS.

I know someone who got 20 stitches in their leg from a chihuahua and a buddy carrying scars from an encounter with a Shar-Pei.

They are animals deep down and depending on how they're raised they may not control it well. In addition I don't discount the possibility of genetically or medically excused "bad dogs"...

[DrDan]

24. what if the chihuahua that inflicted 20 stitches of damage had been a pit bull?

what damage would have resulted?

[meow mix]

26. yeah, they all have teeth so what. a pomeranian is a cap gun. pitbull is a shoulder fired rocket

theres quite a difference between thier capabilities is my point.

if i had a baby id worry about so much power being around, and having its own brain.

[GSLevel9]

29. YES that's right...

but breed alone can't predict a dangerous dog.

[meow mix]

30. no but you can predict how much damage would be done in the event of a "misfire"

and working with dogs my whole life, ive had a lot more problems with some breeds. rottwilers being on top of the list. while other breeds i have yet to find an aggressive individual

[GSLevel9]

36. YES, in fact many herding dogs are a bit weird in the head. nt

[meow mix]

45. true, this is a serious "cattledog" area

ive evaluated a lot of different individuals they tend to be not very relaxed easily lol

[Sweet Charming Dem]

35. Here you go:

http://articles.latimes.com/2000/oct/09/local/me-34015

No dog of any breed should be left unattended with a baby. This was a needless tragedy. Breed of dog has nothing to do with it. Lots of dogs will get weird and jealous around a new baby.

[meow mix]

37. 1 incident hardly compares with a pattern that numbers in thousands.

major fail.

[Sweet Charming Dem]

39. And many breeds are mistakenly identified as pit bulls

No dog of ANY breed should be left unattended with an infant. It's pure idiocy to do so.

I have two dogs, one is a pit bull. One is aggressive towards children. The other loves kids. Guess what? The one who I would never trust with a kid is not the pit bull.

[DrDan]

42. perhaps you misunderstood my post - I was replying to the previous

one where the poster claimed all dogs can bite.

Of course they can - but few can match the jaws of a pit bull.

I am in agreement with you. To claim that all dogs bite ignores the most relevant of the facts - how much damage results from the bite.

[meow mix]

43. right, sorry

dont see as well as i used to might have gotten the messages mixed hehe

[Sweet Charming Dem]

46. German Shepherd and Rottweiler beat the pit bull on jaw strength

I'm sure plenty of other breeds also do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADDxe24ud90

[meow mix]

54. i beleive it i mentioned rottys higher up =)

german shepards have got to be one of the most intelligent creatures existing. i put them up with chimps lol.

[Sweet Charming Dem]

58. German Shepherds and Pit Bulls are my two favorite breeds

I've never had an issue with rotties. Personally, the one breed I ran into the most trouble working with was chows. They seem to be totally one-person dogs.

[Joe Fields]

81. chows and cocker spaniels. very unpredictable.

My two favorite breeds are german shepherds and golden retrievers.

[Sweet Charming Dem]

84. Yeah, I worked at a very large boarding facility for awhile

It could hold 300 dogs at a time. I hated dealing with the Chows, though they were all perfectly friendly with their owners.

Labs were the most likely to take your hand off feeding them. Friendly, for the most part, but total idiots when presented with food. I quickly learned to feed them through the slot.

[Joe Fields]

89. Overzealous eaters?

It's kind of funny, but it kind of isn't. I'm sure you learned very quickly.

I have only dealt with labs on an individual basis, so my expertise is limited, but I have found, at least through my experiences that they are better behaved than most breeds. Of course ownership handling has a lot to do with any dog.

[Sweet Charming Dem]

94. Yes, they were almost universally overzealous eaters.

Plenty of other dogs we had to entice to eat with cheese, gravy or "junk" (i.e. pouches of Pedigree wet food), but I never saw a lab that was put off food by being boarded. Some dogs we even resorted to sitting in their run and feeding them by hand...which no sad dog ever turned down.

[DrDan]

69. I have no doubt that several breeds have tremendous strength

pit bulls are certainly among them

[Kceres]

31. I've noticed that small or toy dogs are more likely to bite than bigger dogs.

Even though a small dog probably won't inflict much damage, they can sure become the origin of dog phobias in children. Bottom line: all dogs + all infants/toddlers = supervision.

[meow mix]

33. yah and they dont even break the skin most times, ive recieved literally thousands of dog bites in m

even have a few broken fingers. lucky to still have them all

[Scruffy1]

41. I agree

Having handled other peoples dogs my whole life all I can say its the dog's disposition and his interaction with humans. However pit bulls have very strong jaw muscles and tend to inflict more damage in an attack. Ny own nemesis was always the little old ladies lap dog. Got some scars from them.

[baldguy]

55. The breed doesn't matter. **ANY** dog could have done this.

No dog should ever be left with an infant. EVER.

[shireen]

68. +1

[Arkansas Granny]

9. How terrible. I can't imagine the burden of guilt these parents will carry

for the rest of their lives.

[ecstatic]

11. uggh. She probably believed the meme that dogs

protect babies. My mom's chihuahua acted very strange when my newborn nephew came around. I suspect that if she was left alone with him, she would have attacked.

[cbdo2007]

22. When we brought our newborn home a few months ago...our dog hated her!!!

She wasn't violent toward her, but she was REALLY jealous and it took at least a couple of months before our dog now realizes our new daughter is a part of the family and that we love them both.

Everything is ok now, but it will still be awhile until we feel comfortable with them "playing" together very much, though they do interact well under supervision. We would never, ever assume though that they would just get along and everything would be ok.

[Sweet Charming Dem]

13. What a sad and completely preventable story

No dog should be left along unsupervised with a small child. Newborns have been killed by pomeranians.

[WinkyDink]

27. Yeah, the dog was waiting. Smarter than the parents.

[a kennedy]

34. so so sad.....

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[Philosoraptor]

40. ALL pit bulls should be destroyed

[Sweet Charming Dem]

47. ALL (insert random thing I irrationally hate) should be destroyed

:yawn:

[Philosoraptor]

60. No, just those fucking baby killing pit bulls, & their owners heavily fined

[Sweet Charming Dem]

61. Any breed of dog can kill a baby

[Philosoraptor]

62. There's no arguing logic with pit bull owners, none whatsoever

[Sweet Charming Dem]

64. I stated a fact.

Sorry, if you have a problem with facts, as opposed to emotional idiocy.

[Philosoraptor]

72. as did I...WITHOUT calling anyone an idiot

[Sweet Charming Dem]

73. No, you did not state a fact, and I didn't call anybody an idiot...

I merely referred to "emotional idiocy."

"Idiot" is a noun. "Emotional idiocy" would be an adverb and verb, in this context.

:)

[Philosoraptor]

74. It IS a fact that you can't argue logic with a pit bull owner or they become idiotic

[Sweet Charming Dem]

76. I'm not the one making sweeping generalizations

And, you are still not stating a fact, regardless of how many times you repeat it.

[Philosoraptor]

77. bark bark woof woof snarl snarl rip tear kill

[uppityperson]

97. You must own a pit bull. At least by your definition, you fit.

[flvegan]

53. WHARRGARBL!!

[Sweet Charming Dem]

59. +1

[TonyMontana]

44. I don't understand why people have pets

I never got why anyone would want to live with an animal. I can understand if you're on a farm and it has a lot of outside room to roam. But in the house? I don't get it.

[Incitatus]

48. Dogs are a great deterrent for burglars. nt

[Roon]

50. People with pets live longer

Wish I could provide a link, but his has been proven several times. Besides, animals RULE!

[AnArmyVeteran]

52. Pets add value to a life unless they kill you.

[flvegan]

51. There appears to be a lot you don't understand.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

57. Lol

[Luminous Animal]

87. I think every landlord should be compelled to allow any female tenant to own a big dog.

Many of my single and/or bartender girl friends have huge dogs. It facilitates the freedom of late night walks.

And for everyone else, animals are fun. I love cuddling and playing with my cats.

[Skittles]

88. ?

are you for real?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

105. In this sense, yes.

http://ih3.redbubble.net/work.319865.11.fig,black,mens,fbfbfb.shit-stirrer-v3.jpg

[burning rain]

96. Maybe they like having their homes be dirtier?

I don't get it, myself. Most people are too stupid for me to have much use for them, so obviously I have little time for animals.

[Sweet Charming Dem]

98. Personally, I find the average dog more worthy of my time than most people I encounter

[burning rain]

99. Funny line, but you don't believe it.

If you did, you'd propose, at a minimum, giving dogs the vote. :P

[Sweet Charming Dem]

100. One of them would be an anarchist and the other one would likely go green

So really, there's no point to it.

[burning rain]

107. There are dogs of all political stripes.

A lot of pooches, like my grandma's collie, are good Democrats and liberals. Almost all cats are Libertarians, though.

[Johnny2X2X]

49. Sad Story

Yes, all dogs can bite, but certain breeds pack a bigger punch. Pitbulls are great dogs with a formidable bite, but it's not the bite that makes them so dangerous IMO. It's the tenacity. This breed is tenacious as Hell and when they get their mind on something they will not stop.

It's one of the most loyal breeds and are probably about the most eager to please dog you will find. These dogs will jump through a brick wall to please their owner. I personally love the breed, but realize they are not being raised right in my city. My city would probably be a better place without Pit Bulls even though that would mean I might not get to hang out with some of my favorite dogs.

My guess is that this family knew their dog had some violent tendencies and were careless. This dog had to have shown signs of ill will toward the newborn.

[JI7]

56. i blame the parents

[Philosoraptor]

63. Me too, allowing such a monster anywhere near a newborn is insane

[northernlights]

65. the dog is not a monster

the dog wasn't properly socialized and shouldn't have been left alone with the baby.

I have one dog who is an absolute love. Wouldn't never intentionally hurt anyone. I would *never* leave him alone with a small child, never mind baby, because he's just too big and could hurt them by accident, while licking them all over their faces and toes.

I have another dog who is an absolute love. But he thinks anything little and wiggly is a toy. If it squeaks or grunts when he pushes it with his nose, then he really thinks it's a toy. I would *never* leave him alone with a baby because he might think it's a toy and kill while "playing" with it.

Does that make them monsters?

The dog was a dog. The owners were at fault for leaving the baby alone with the dog, and for not having properly socialized and trained the dog to begin with.

[Canuckistanian]

70. Impossible.

Pit Bull Terriers are loving, caring members of their families. And nothing you can say will dissuade me of that fact.

[DrDan]

103. ask this infant about the loving qualities of this dog. . .. . oh, wait . . . .

[Canuckistanian]

106. There's a reason why Labradors aren't used in dogfight pits

And it ain't because of the size of their canine teeth.

[Kalyke]

71. Doesn't matter what the dog's breed is...

...my cocker spaniel is the meanest of the dogs (he was also the most abused prior to our rescue). My husband frightens him - it was a man - an alleged "preacher" who abused the dog - and my husband is loud (hearing issues and military experience make him naturally a loud person - booming voice, even when not angered and so on). The loud, booming manner of my husband makes the dog growl at him any time he comes near us when we're sitting on the couch (me and the dog - and our other dog, a Chihuahua, who, surprisingly, is not "barky" at all).

I'm trying the Cesar Milan method, but I have to continuously remind my husband not to talk to the dog - just stare. Just gain authority without aggression - it's hard for him when the dog wants to attack him, but it's necessary.

In any case, this is a sad story of two dog owners who didn't properly become the pack leader.

[guitar man]

83. Exactly right

It is so sad to read of these needless tragedies every time they happen. "Pack leader" is exactly right. If you don't become an effective pack leader with ANY breed of dog and establish proper pack order, you will have behavioral problems with them. Learning to recognize dominant and aggressive behavior and correct it is vital to having dogs in the family unit. Ignoring problem behavior and hoping it goes away is a sure fire way to get somebody bit...or worse.

I have had American Pit Bull Terriers , Staffies and other "Bully Breed" mixes since I was 9 years old and have never had any of them bite anyone. They are headstrong dogs that require a firm hand but they are not naturally agressive toward humans and not necessarily agressive toward other dogs. They will follow their leader, so a lot depends on what kind of leader you choose to be. I always wanted to be Spanky from Our Gang, not Michael Vick

[Kalyke]

90. Just so you know - one of our rescues - a mutt - who is the smartest

and is the pack leader of the dogs, but is submissive to me, I think is a pit/dobe mix. The rescue group said she was rottie, but, she's not... I've been around them and she has absolutely NO characteristics of a rottie, but she has the wide face, like a pit (rotties do, too, but not the same - it's more robust than "choppie.")

And... Petey from Our Gang was.... HORRORS (heh)... a PIT BULL!

[guitar man]

102. I've got a Pit/Pointer mix

Her name is Olive and she's a real sweetheart with the family, about 18 months old and I can already tell she's going to be hell on wheels as a guardian/protector. Birdie, her predecessor was also a Pit/Pointer mix and was without a doubt the best dog I ever had. Had her 11 years and had to have her put down back in August due to bone cancer. All my dogs are rescues, only way to go.

I remember seeing Petey as a kid and telling my Dad "I want a dog like that". Didn't know what kind of dog he was but I found out and thus it began.

APBTs are not monsters but some of the people who own them certainly are :(

[BlueMTexpat]

101. Interestingly, Cesar himself seems to prefer pit bulls and the larger

breeds - all the while making the point that it is the owners who are generally the problem. They often don't realize that dogs are dogs, NOT people, and that they must become pack leaders or, by default, the dogs will.

As with so many here, I am horrified by the parents' behavior. Leaving a newborn alone with any animal (other than perhaps a small goldfish in a bowl far, far away ...) is totally irresponsible. Leaving it alone with a pit bull was gross negligence. Yes, smaller breeds of dogs might also have attacked - no matter what their so-called previous "track record" or behavior was - but they may either not have been able to reach the newborn infant, assuming it was in a crib with high sides, or the incident might only have resulted in bites that were less than deadly - which still is very dangerous.

We have had a variety of dogs (and cats) - both purebreed and Heinz 57s - throughout our lives, as have our children. One of the best-behaved of all was a neutered pit bull mix who had been rescued and who absolutely adored children - and vice versa. He was a total love and we miss him still. But even he was never allowed to play with children without an adult present. He would NEVER ever have been left alone with an infant.

[Philosoraptor]

78. a few stastistics

http://www.dog-obedience-training-online.com/dog-bite-statistics-by-breed.html

[Sweet Charming Dem]

79. Well, according to the made up statistics on that site, pit bulls are fine

Just don't mix them with Weimeraners.

Seriously, do you think that's a valid source?

Next, you'll probably drag out the flawed Merrit Clifton report.

[flvegan]

80. Finally, the Merritt Clifton Report emerges.

Wondered which pitbull hater would barf that bullshit up.

Do you take all your statistics from third party media outlets? I hear they though Bush was a great fucking president...

[guitar man]

82. Those "statistics" are utter bullshit

The American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier are not even listed and it simply lists "pit bull terrier" as a breed, not "American Pit Bull Terrier" as defined by the United Kennel Club.

I've personally seen too many instances where some short stocky mongrel with a wide mouth and a big head bit somebody and it was reported as a "pitbull" in the police report and in the media. I can't take such a shoddy set of "statistics" seriously.

[TexasObserver]

86. This is what happens when idiots own large dogs.

And babies should never be left alone with a dog.

[Luminous Animal]

91. Not just large dogs. My mother had a miniature dachshund

that hated children and would violently attack their feet and, without intervention, had the capability of inflicting real damage. (She was a rescue dog and, despite great efforts, beyond rehabilitating.)

[TexasObserver]

104. Yes, babies are vulnerable to dogs of any size.

Even a puppy can (and has) gnawed off baby toes while one parent was gone and the other was allegedly sleeping.

When there is no human in the immediate area, the dog will often think it is in charge of the baby (unless trained otherwise), and it is.

[burning rain]

95. I hope the mother & father both serve jail time for negligence.

I doubt it, though. A fucking pit bull and a baby. What could possibly go wrong there?