Family dog kills 6 month old child

[Smooshie]

NOT to defend this dog's actions, because this is horribly tragic....but WHY would someone leave their 6 month old unattended near a dog's FOOD BOWL??? :x


By MIKE GLENN
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

A 6-month-old Spring boy died Thursday night after being bitten by a family dog, the first of two area children hospitalized for serious dog bites.

The Spring infant was bitten shortly before 5 p.m. at his home in {edited out for privacy}.

Montgomery County sheriff's deputies said the boy, whose name was not released, was crawling on the floor near the dog's food bowl when the incident occurred.

The child was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital for medical treatment but later died of his injuries, Montgomery County sheriff's deputies said.

Neighbors told investigators that the dog, a mixed-breed boxer, was the family's pet and had never shown any aggressive tendencies in the past.

The dog will be quarantined by the Montgomery County animal control office pending the outcome of an investigation, officials said.

Charges are not likely to be filed in the case because the incident appears to be isolated, and there were no suspicious circumstances, Montgomery County sheriff's deputies said.

A Brazoria County boy also was flown to Memorial Hermann Hospital Thursday after he was bitten by his family's dog.

The dog bit the 5-year-old boy several times, including on the head and face, shortly before 7 p.m. at the home near the intersection of County Road 671 and County Road 30.

The child was taken by Life Flight helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital in unknown condition.

The investigation was continuing .

[cheekymunkee]

[quote name='Mei-Mei']This is sad, and was so easy to prevent. So many people grow up with the image of Lassie in their heads that they really don't use common sense when it comes to children and pets. This is very, very tragic. :(

So very very true.

Debby

[mouseatthebusstop]

Ditto- so easy to prevent- :(

[Guest Anonymous]

:o gesh i agree, how sutpid can you be to let hte kid by tehe food bowl ?? :( so sad for the parents/ child and dog...

[Lokipups]

Charges are not likely to be filed in the case because the incident appears to be isolated

What ever happened to negligence :o ? Doesn't that count anymore? If the child had been left in a locked car under the sun, or had died from ingesting a household poison, the authorities would have been all over them for child abuse :x .

[Guest Anonymous]

And people wonder why my dogs all eat in crates!

Such a sad situation for the family and the dog.

[Cairn6]

[quote name='Lokipups']

Charges are not likely to be filed in the case because the incident appears to be isolated

What ever happened to negligence :o ? Doesn't that count anymore? If the child had been left in a locked car under the sun, or had died from ingesting a household poison, the authorities would have been all over them for child abuse :x .
I totally agree this child was neglected and I know the parents have been through the worst nightmare but some idiots also claim they didn't know any better when they leave the child in the car unattended.

[courtnek]

this was completely preventable. While I feel for the people. having lost their child, at the same time I am very angry that COMMON SENSE did not take over. Letting a 6 month baby crawl on the floor in the kitchen while the dog is eating? A dog is NOT going to recognize a baby as a "more dominant" household member.....he is going to defend his food. God, why dont people get it? THEY ARE NOT PEOPLE IN FUR COATS!!! They are ANIMALS!!!!

:evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :drinking: :drinking: :drinking: :drinking:

[DogPaddle]

I wonder how many dogs have been put down over things like this?

Not only should small children not be left alone with a dog but there is additionally training that needs to be done when you have a dog and kid household: the children (once old enough to understand) need to be taught how to behave around the dog and the dog needs to have pack order reinfoced as concerns the child. If the dog thinks the child is higher in the group then it then if an accident occurs and dog and child are alone and say the child takes the dog's food the dog will be LESS likely to bite.

[Cairn6]

I really don't know how people can be so comfortable with letting their baby run freely around a dog. I didn't even let my niece and my dog (who by the way was the sweetest dog in the whole wide world) go even face to face for the first 6 months let alone leave her by herself with the dog.

Just for conversation it's actually a cute story. When my niece Samantha was about 6 months old I had her on my lap and in walks Brandy. I thought well perhaps it's time to see how Brandy feels about the baby. So I sat on the floor and put the baby in a little car seat chair. I called Brandy over and was so paranoid I grabbed her collar just in case but then all of a sudden she lunges forward and gives the baby a huge lick across the face. So I am waiting to see how Sam will handle that is she going to cry. Nope she did the biggest giggle I had ever heard out of her and from then on they were the best of buddies. The baby learned to say Brandy's name before the rest of our names. :lol:

But I never left her alone with the baby no matter how good she was.

[Shenanigans]

Parents like that, I just want to boot to the head. I have found that 99% of the time when a child is attacked an adult guardian is to blame, and usually they need a good swift kick to the behind. With kids and dogs you have to be on top of your game 150% of the time, it's not easy, but it's absolutely necessary.