LA - Parents Sleep As Pup Chews Off Baby's Toes

[nanandjim]

...Oftentimes a thread goes off on a tangent from where you want it to go, and sometimes people want to bring it back...

Oh, I hadn't noticed that the thread had veered off on a tangent.

 

[4Angels]

Really, I'm assuming that your post is directed at me. If this is the case, I am not focusing on the dog. I am focusing on the complete picture, which includes the breed of the dog.

I think that having a pit bull when you have a baby lacks judgment. I think that allowing the baby to be exposed to any pet lacks judgment.

At the risk of repeating myself, I think that the parents were at the very least negiglent.

No, my post is directed in general to all the posts debating the dog. When I read through, I never paid attention to who was posting. I have no clue who posted what just that the post started as a child endangered to whether the breed is acceptable or not.

Do I believe having a Pit Bull with a small child was a silly choice in judgement? Yes. Did they do something illegal in getting a Pit Bull puppy? No.

That's why I am suggesting we debate the parents and not the dog. Clearly a 6 week old puppy can not be held responsible for it's actions anymore than the baby can be held accountable for not moving her feet. Both arguments would be silly to the point of questionable insanity.

But focusing on the breed of dog is relative ONLY in a "what-if" sense. And every single one of us would lose our children if judged by "what-if's".

The opinons of both LE and the Vet are that these parents fabricated the story. I believe they did and wonder whether the dog really is the culprit. The dog shown did not appear to be emaciated in a way that would suggest a need to do this. Possibly a need to chew, but once again it brings me back to my feelings that 2 people, even under the influence of meth, could NOT sleep through the shrills of a baby less than 5 feet from them. I wonder if they were asleep in another room and pulled the mattress out after the fact.

Any one else have any theories to this?

 

[4Angels]

I think that person's post wasn't directed at anyone in particular. Oftentimes a thread goes off on a tangent from where you want it to go, and sometimes people want to bring it back. It's all good.

Yes, I was only trying to draw it back on target before the original intention of the thread got lost. It wasn't there yet but the breed of the dog was starting to take precedence over the actions of the parents.

 

[GlitchWizard]

Yes, I was only trying to draw it back on target before the original intention of the thread got lost. It wasn't there yet but the breed of the dog was starting to take precedence over the actions of the parents.

Though - we don't know the actions of the parents... and won't, until they tell the same story twice.

 

[4Angels]

Though - we don't know the actions of the parents... and won't, until they tell the same story twice.

Sadly, this is true. It is so frustrating to me when a parent will cover their own hide at the cost of the child.

Has there been any mention of what the other versions of events they've given?

I don't even want to envision the abandonment issues this child is going to face years later.

I also have only heard the child would be placed into foster care. Has any family come forward for the child that anyone's heard?

 

[GlitchWizard]

I don't know of any other versions. Of course, if I were accused of hurting my child when it was an unintential accident - I'd be flustered as heck and don't know what I'd say when badgered by people who I'd be afraid the wrong answer would take my child away from me. That would probably be the case whether you were guilty OR innocent - once it gets to the point someone is making you feel threatened.

 

[Taximom]

For all we know, it could have been the ferret that chewed on the little girl's toes.

I agree, no animals in the same area as little babies. I don't care if it's a pit bull or a kitten.

The real issue to me is the total negligence by the parents. I just can't understand them not hearing their little baby if she was indeed so close to them.

 

[KatK]

Then again, when you go in for surgery, you are unconcious, and don't remember anything when you wake up. (Or, most people are anyway...) I know when I went in for my partial hysterectomy (cantaloupe sized fibroid in the uterine muscle walls, the utereus had to go) that my husband said at one point I was "awake" but pretty out of it, and I don't remember anything at all past a certain point, (and nothing of what he told me I said and did over and over, I seemed to not realize I'd said or done a thing already) though I am told I was "concious".

Who knows what drugs they were on? That still leaves them as neglectful, and unable to care for their baby due to drug use/addiction. They shouldn't be allowed to have pets ever again either.

 

[Saavy]

I just wanted to share my experience with sleeping through a baby's screams. My son was about 2 months old (I was 27 at the time and not on drugs of any kind). We were temporarily living at my mother's house. My son had fell asleep on a palet in the floor and I didn't want to move him, so I laid down right next to him and went to sleep. At some point in the night, I woke up and my son was not there. I jumped up and when I turned around my mother was sitting on the couch feeding him a bottle. I was so confused. I asked her why she was in there and she said because he had been screaming for 30 minutes. I was devestated. I could not understand, and still do not understand, why I never heard him when we were within inches of one another. So, I am just saying, it can happen and there not be any negligent factors behind why they didn't hear the baby. ~Savvy~

 

[GlitchWizard]

True. Maybe those of us who believe that we ALWAYS heard our baby in the night only believe it - because no one ever told us we were mistaken!

I just wanted to share my experience with sleeping through a baby's screams. My son was about 2 months old (I was 27 at the time and not on drugs of any kind). We were temporarily living at my mother's house. My son had fell asleep on a palet in the floor and I didn't want to move him, so I laid down right next to him and went to sleep. At some point in the night, I woke up and my son was not there. I jumped up and when I turned around my mother was sitting on the couch feeding him a bottle. I was so confused. I asked her why she was in there and she said because he had been screaming for 30 minutes. I was devestated. I could not understand, and still do not understand, why I never heard him when we were within inches of one another. So, I am just saying, it can happen and there not be any negligent factors behind why they didn't hear the baby. ~Savvy~

 

[eve]

True. Maybe those of us who believe that we ALWAYS heard our baby in the night only believe it - because no one ever told us we were mistaken!

You know, Glitch, you could be right. That's why we put our babies in proper cribs and didn't let animals run loose around them without supervision.

Also, I'm not trying to offend Pit Bull lovers but as a breed they attack much more often (and more seriously) than other dogs. I believe certain breeds are somewhat prewired. Not sure about puppies, but I have never heard of a puppy doing something like this and when I do -- it's a Pit Bull. Hmmmmm.

But I grew up w/ a vet. Heard him tallking about breeds all the time. I know for sure you have to work with PB's a lot to make sure they are socialized and gentle. They have to know who's boss. They tend to snap and usually with someone smaller and more vulnerable.

Why on earth people want a breed they have to worry so much about in terms of unpredictability and training when there are so many breeds known to be gentle, I have no idea.

However, the Pit Bull owners I know have selected them FOR their fighting attributes. I know there are those here who are NOT that way, who own PB's. I hope to God their animals never "go off."

The safety of people still takes priority over animals. We can't put that puppy in therapy or know for sure whether this early experience of chewing the baby's toes will affect its behavior later, or even exactly why it did it in the first place.

I know puppies like to chew, but this baby was alive, kicking (I assume), screaming and bleeding! I've been around a lot of puppies, I just can't find a context for this - the puppy going that far, that is.

I'm not sure what should be done with this puppy. Personally, I wouldn't take any chances. :twocents:

Ok, I'm ducking now. :truce:

Eve

 

[kgeaux]

Yes, but a much proportionately larger percentage of pitbulls than of other breeds attack humans.

I don't think so. I believe other breeds are more predisposed to attack, but pit attacks more often end up with serious injuries or death.

 

[eve]

I don't think so. I believe other breeds are more predisposed to attack, but pit attacks more often end up with serious injuries or death.

kgeaux, Which ones?


Eve

 

[eve]

I have to go offline in a few but wanted to share this re: dog bites resulting in fatalities (DBRF):

....[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

I don't know whether PBs and Rotts are also more likely to attack, I guess I just came to that conclusion by making an assumption. They are more likely to kill when they do, however. Thus, I would much rather encounter a yippy ankle-biter than a PB or Rott.


Eve

 

[Peter Hamilton]

Britain obviously agrees that pitbulls are dangerous--They banned anyone in the entire country from having them--yes,that's right,pitbulls are banned in the entire country--however,the evidence shows rottweilers and german shepards can also be dangerous--like I said, these unfit parents should have gotten a kitten--

 

[KatK]

Britain obviously agrees that pitbulls are dangerous--They banned anyone in the entire country from having them--yes,that's right,pitbulls are banned in the entire country--however,the evidence shows rottweilers and german shepards can also be dangerous--like I said, these unfit parents should have gotten a kitten--

No, they shouldn't even have care of a goldfish. They left a teething puppy without proper chew toys, with terrible consequences!

 

[PrayersForMaura]

I keep thinking of this poor little one and the pain the baby must've experienced and now the future consequences.

This is so, so sad.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

Pitbulls make me extremely uncomfortable.

I'm sorry, but you post sort of made me laugh in a good way (not poking fun!). Your simple post was right after a bunch of posts of people arguing about the dog and all of a sudden, just a short sweet post ... "Pitbulls make me extremely uncomfortable".

I like how you wrote that. No arguing, no drawn out explanation of why... just a simple sentence.
I feel bad that you are extremely uncomfortable around them, though.

 

[LinasK]

Really, this thread should focus on the child and not the dog.

The breed of this dog IS irrelevant at this point because the PUPPY was only 6 weeks old and FAR from being what ANYONE would construe as a danger.

The TRUE danger in that house was not the puppy or ferret, but WAS and IS the parents.

I disagree. The breed is relevant because it wasn't just a "PUPPY" that attacked, it was a PIT BULL PUPPY! I don't care that it was only 6 weeks old- it's still a pit bull, and obviously capable of doing much damage as evident.

We agree that the parents failed the child.

 

[PrayersForMaura]

I'm sorry, but this dog looks so sweet and so cute. It doesn't look mean. It actually looks sad and scared. Look at it's little sad eyes and facial expression. I feel bad for the puppy, I don't think he was mean and intentionally wanted to hurt anyone. It just happened. It is definitely the parents' carelessness and lack of attention and protection to and of their baby.

Teresa Miller, who sold the puppy to the Hansches, was skeptical the dog did it.

"He didn't chew on anything while he was with me. Out of all of them (in the litter), he was the least chewy." http://www.ktbs.com/news/local/4877961.html