Could This Have Been Avoided?

[connieb19]

Why do people with young children keep these types of dog's? Fair enough, this is a pub so they were probably guard dog but all the more reason to keep them away from the baby. :(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/5375520.stm

[emszxr]

i have 3 dogs and although they are great with my kids, i wouldnt trust any dog not even my own a hundred percent with a child.

peronally if had dogs that aggressive and was having a baby i would get rid of the dogs before hand.

[Alice in Blunderland]

To answer your question Connie most definately.That poor child it never had a chance.:(

[squareman]

A disgrace ...... it could and should have been avoided.

[connieb19]

A disgrace ...... it could and should have been avoided.
What about the dogs? Should they be destroyed or were they acting upon their instincts?

[unicorn]

Any animal that has attacked in this way should be destroyed as you never ever know when it will do it again.

[j4bberw0ck]

It's a tragedy. The problem is with the way dogs work. The baby (presumably, at 5 months) joined the family (for which in dog terms, read "pack") after the dogs did so from the dogs' perspective, the baby is below them in the pecking order. Then they see the baby getting attention and preference, so when the pack bosses (parents) aren't looking, they give the baby a lesson. I don't know, but frankly I doubt they would intend to kill - just to inflict wounds. Trouble is, big dogs can kill small children so easily.

Sorry if that sounds a little clinical. The dogs have to be destroyed, of course, but the real fault lies with the people who had them without a clue as to what they had running round the house. Dogs are "nice" to the pack bosses - because it gets them rewards and it's in their psychology. They're capable of being very nasty where they see children as below them in the pecking order.

To try to answer Connie's question - why do people own dogs like these - other than guard dogs, they're a chav fashion accessory. Mastiffs, Rotts, Dobermanns - essential part of the chav "bling". They need special handling and a great deal of exercise. Sorry, that's the dogs, not the chavs, though now I think on it....

[Saxo01]

Have to agree with you ems as the owner of two fairly large dogs you cant trust them 100%, all they want to do is lick your face but you dont always know what there thinking, Obviously training & lots of time spent with them makes the difference, By the sound of it the dogs in this case spent most of their time on a roof little wonder they were bored & had problems, I know the poor family must be inconsolable but like you said these dogs should never have been near a child even more so a baby

[Alice in Blunderland]

Of course the dogs should be destroyed.....should the parents face charges???

[Billy Boy]

These type's of dogs are bread to be aggressive it's in them, so why have them if you have children or plan to have children.
even though it was a pub and the dog was a guard dog it shouldnt have had any means of access to where the child was i just cant bear to think of that poor child and what it went through.:~(

[emszxr]

yes the dogs should be destroyed

if any dog hurt my kids i wouldnt even think twice, the dog would be killed straight away

[connieb19]

Of course the dogs should be destroyed.....should the parents face charges???I would say that probably the parents are suffering enough without being charged BUT I would say that they should never be allowed to keep dogs like these again, especially if they have other children.
There should be some license to keep dangerous dogs. Like J4bberwok says, a lot of people have them for show and have no idea how to handle them.

[crashbandicoot1979]

What a horrible story. That poor baby, she must have been terrified. The dogs were only acting on instinct therefore such a tragedy probably could have been avoided although no doubt the baby's parents are more than fully aware of that. I personally don't think they shouldn't face charges as they will be suffering enough as it is. I agree with connie though - they should be banned from keeping dogs (any kind of dog) in the future, although I'm thinking that maybe they won't be too keen to go out and get any more after this.

[Saxo01]

I personally dont trust the type of dogs in question, But i know a couple of people who do own them, One of which is a dog trainer & she also rescues dogs, She told me years back she trusted her rotty more than any dog she'd owned, An adult doesn't have a chance against one of these powerfull dogs, Why ever take the risk

[mums angels]

I would say that probably the parents are suffering enough without being charged BUT I would say that they should never be allowed to keep dogs like these again, especially if they have other children.
There should be some license to keep dangerous dogs. Like J4bberwok says, a lot of people have them for show and have no idea how to handle them.


I agree that the parents are probably suffering enough and they'll have to live with the grief and guilt for the rest of there lives.

my daugther was once given a warning snap from my parents dog and she got the fright of her life as did i and i felt so guilty for trusting that the dog would be fine with her, i've never let my children play with the dogs ever since and am very cautious of every dog i pass in the street. All dogs have it in them to turn, its instinct.

i also agree that dogs that are this vicious should be destroyed

[unicorn]

I would never ever leave my dogs unattended with children, I have a baby gate that stays closed when kids are in the house, at the end of the day they are animals and as much as we love them they do not have human thoughts or understanding.

[taylor.4]

I agree the dog's should be destroyed, i've got a dog my-self, and i wouldn't trust it 100% with small children.

[henry20]

I would be lost without my dog, but I would be traumatised for life if my dog did this to any child and wouldn't have to think twice about getting him put down.

[_Ju_]

Why do people with young children keep these types of dog's? Fair enough, this is a pub so they were probably guard dog but all the more reason to keep them away from the baby. :(

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/5375520.stm

Connie, I have to disagree with you. It is not "those types of dog", but "those types of owners. If you own a dog, you have to know how to deal with it, control it and be responsible for it's actions. Any animal (in this case, dogs) has the potential to harm. The degree of harm, depends offcourse on size and design(it's unlikely, but not impossible, that a pequenoise would have the same effect). A dog, for want of a better comparison, is a bit like a gun: The gun itself is not inherently dangerous, but becomes so in the hands of a person. Depending on who is holding the gun, it can do great harm...or not.

I have never known an agressive dog that has not had a problematic owner (I have known my fair share of dogs and owners).
PS: The dog should and has to be put down, but the owner should be barred from having more.

[Big Jean]

I have to agree with Ju on this . It is such a sad situation for everyone in that family but why on earth would they have allowed their dogs to be around that baby or any child as far as that goes, is beyond me . I would hate to be in the parents shoes at this time, the guilt they must be feeling !

[Piglet]

It is such a shame on this baby's family but why would they let dogs like tat near kids.

I did see on news the dogs have been put down - rightly so too.

[Bingobabe]

I personnally not that keen on these types of dogs as generally they are quite aggressive but saying that any dog can be aggressive!!!!!I was attacted by a collie when i was a child and has made me very wary of dogs in general. Although i have a toy poodle not exactly a bull mastiff but when i had my baby i was and still preety wary of her although my son has grabbed her many of times and she,s never once done anything and i,ve always been there, but she really is a very good natured dog i still wouldnt trust her 100%.

I feel very sorry for the family and the poor baby girl that went through such a brutal attack it,s something they probarly will never get over and most likely they will be blameing themselves for!!! Although i do think if you have small children and pets you should always be very cautious as like someone already said you never know what a dog is really thinking!!!

[BRIE]

just to update the parents were looking after the pub for the owners & the dogs were guard dogs. the dogs have since been destroyed.How heartbreaking for the parents my son is the same age & the thought of something like that happening to him is unimaginable!

[henry20]

The pub was owned by the childs grandparents.

[unicorn]

Here is a rather strange twist to this case http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-13544057,00.html how unlucky can one family be?

[Woolie]

These type's of dogs are bread to be aggressive it's in them, so why have them if you have children or plan to have children.
even though it was a pub and the dog was a guard dog it shouldnt have had any means of access to where the child was i just cant bear to think of that poor child and what it went through.:~(I think u will find they were only looking after the pub but it is awful and one dog can be trusted 100% iagree, heard on news that babys grandfathers partner has been murdered too.

[connieb19]

Here is a rather strange twist to this case http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-13544057,00.html how unlucky can one family be?
Sounds dodgy to me.. :confused