5 month old and 2 year old killed by family pet pitbulls

[eucalippy]

That the family had for over 8 years without a single prior violent incident. The attack went on for ten minutes leaving the baby boy and 2 year old girl dead and the mother with an "uncountable amount of stitches and injuries"

Stuff like this makes me so sad but scares me too, I've always been scared of big dogs, but it's something I try and keep at bay and not put on to my kids. My brother and his wife have 2 Rottweilers who I was petrified of at first but have learnt to be around, they are very calm but stuff like this makes me feel like I can never take the kids round there again because what if they just turn?

I know about the whole it's owners not breed spiel, but stuff like this brings that into question surely? You can never truly know what a dog might do can you?

Link if anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about. RIP to those beautiful kids.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/baby-sister-killed-pitbulls-memphis-b2197336.html?amp

Yes there are some similar breeds on that fatalities list. American Bully, Staffordshire (cross), Rottweiler and a couple of other cross breeds.

No Pekingese or labradors. Though Pekes can be snappy!

I’ve said it before on threads like this, anything that can’t be left in a room alone with my children for 2 minutes does not get through my front door in the first place. It’s not worth the risk. Those poor children 😞

I think what is interesting about the type of breeds in dog attacks , is perhaps the type of dogs that people who like aggressive , status symbol type dogs changes over the years. German Shepherds are a case in a point. When I was a child GSDs seemed to really popular with unpleasant looking types that liked to walk around with a big dog looking hard. As kids we were warned about GSD. Remember Sabre in the Adrian Mole books, he would be a staffie cross now! They seem to have lost that status now. GSD seem to popular with nice people who like an intelligent dog that is very trainable , often for various dog sports. The only staffies I saw around when I was a kid seemed to be owned by farmers and were lovely , wriggly little things . Some staffies now seem twice the size. What I am trying to say a combination of selective breeding for particular traits and the personality of the person training the dog makes all the difference

Oh absolutely @DuchessofAnkh77 - there are definitely some breeds more dangerous than others, but to say "a Jack Russell couldn't kill a baby" is just plain wrong.

They are bred to attack and kill. Just because they're small, doesn't mean they don't have the potential to be very dangerous.

I disagree with the 'it's the owner not the breed mentality'

I think it is very much the breed actually. In many cases they seem to be fine until they're not.

Have a look at the DogsBite website.

My 2 are gentle as lambs, but I would never leave them in a room with a child, you just never know.
A friend of mine had her lip bitten off by her 12 year old lab, who again was gentle and had no history of violence, the vet said the dog could have had 9the beginnings of dementia and was frightened.

Why anyone has pit bulls, let alone anyone with children, defeats me.

We love dogs, but dds and now Gdcs have always been taught to ask the owner before approaching any dog. Friends had 2 flat-coat retrievers and a little Westie. Children so often wanted to pat the ‘cute’ little white one, but he was a snappy little bugger, couldn’t be trusted with kids or TBH anyone he didn’t know well. Whereas the two big black ones were as soppy as you like.

Oh God, I’ve just looked up the XL bully. Breeding them is allowed? I mean the name alone suggests that they are nasty. Why would anyone want to own such an animal?

I've just looked them up too, and I'm also surprised they're legal. Adult deaths involved also.

I'd never heard of them before.

XL Bullies have killed children in the UK this year. I looked them up at the time and simply couldn’t believe anyone would want a dog like that.

Same with pit bulls. If you have a child or are planning to have children why get a fucking pit bull?

RIP to those poor babies who have died in the most awful way.

I have a malamute and a pug, both lovely temperaments but still wouldn't leave our big dog with children alone, he has never shown any signs of biting but he could easily knock a child over but also if a child hurt him it's possible he could react I guess, how would you know till its too late. There is an XL bully pup similar age to mine local to us and he's smaller than my pup but already so much stronger and heavier, he scares me and also my dog is wary of him although after a few mins they do play nicely and actually he seems lovely. I don't feel comfortable around him though I think because of the reports about the breed.

Poor children.

People do need to focus less on the breed and more on the fact that people have to be responsible. Properly train their dogs. Follow procedures that will keep their children safe.

When I see things like videos of toddlers pulling at a dog's tail or ears or yanking their fur I want to shake the parents. Or pictures of the kid climbing on the dog.

Yes, some breeds are more snappy. Some are very strong. Some are hard to train but the bottom line is children get injured and killed because adults don't do what they are supposed to do re dogs and safety.

You can't blame a dog for being a dog. Understanding the world like a dog. Reacting like a dog.

When I was younger my ex was looking after his friends pit bull, I couldn't even walk him as he was so strong. He had a lovely nature but we wouldn't have felt comfortable around children with him as it seems that so many people like to wind dogs like that up which was stressful for him. We had 2 instances of adult men doing just that, 1 kept putting his finger in and out of the dogs mouth and pulling it away to make the dog snap, thought it was hilarious till it bit the top of his finger off. The other kept kicking him and eventually it defended himself and gave him a nip on his leg on warning, unfortunately a nip from a dog that strong was a nasty injury.

Knowing that he could inflict those injuries through no fault of his own meant we didn't allow him to mix with children in the short time we looked after him.

I live in London and I’ve noticed a trend of certain people having the XL bully. It’s a status symbol for them and it terrifies me every time I walk past with the pushchair. I often see them struggling to keep them under control on the leash…ranging from petite women to tall muscly guys. It will be a matter of time before one of them attacks someone a passing child.

I absolutely adore dogs, and grew up with large breeds, but since having my own children I have become increasingly nervous around larger dogs, as we know the damage they can inflict, and it's becoming more and more common. We have two toy breed dogs, they're elderly and can be grumpy, and the children have grown up knowing not to disturb them if they're sleeping, or to try and pick them up etc, because I'm very aware that they could bite if provoked. But the difference is, I know even if they did "turn", no one would or could be killed or even badly injured, as they're smaller than our pet rabbit. They don't pose any sort of threat. I would never own an animal that had the potential to kill, I can't imagine living in the same household as a big dog, who you knew had the potential to maim my children. Surely that risk, even if deemed barely non existent, is never worth it? That potential is always going to be there with a big powerful animal, even if it's been brought up impeccably, the fact is, if it's capable to kill, there is always the chance it could.

Bloody dogs - these incidents make me furious. No-one NEEDS to have a dog in their home.

No dog should be trusted alone with small children. I have a small dog and I know I could overpower him if he were to attack someone or something but I wouldn't stand a chance against some of these larger/powerful breeds. I would much rather be bitten by a chihuahua than a Pitbull.

visit r/BanPitbulls to see how often these dogs kill. You cannot breed out or train out their genetics. It's not how they're raised. It's what they are.

Bloody dogs - these incidents make me furious. No-one NEEDS to have a dog in their home.
You could say the same about baths, swimming pools, bicycles, life without risk isn't possible. . There are millions of dogs in the UK and fatalities are very rare. The biggest risk to a child under one is probably its own parent. There are many many positives to growing up in a family with a dog, companionship, for a child who is having a hard time socially a dog can be life changing, reduced risk of allergies and asthma. My friends autistic son only started leaving the house on foot when accompanied by his dog. His mum is now involved in amazing charity that trains assistance dogs for autistic children.

People who agree that bully dogs are obviously dangerous might want to sign this petition:
Petition: Add 'American Bully' dogs to the list of banned dog breeds

I've signed.

It isn't children being left alone that is the issue. It is the strength of the dogs when they attack. These children weren't alone but the mother wasn't strong enough to get the dog off the kids.

True Musings. Obviously you never leave them alone with a baby or child, but that might not have prevented these deaths as she was powerless to stop this dog in any case.

You can never trust any animal of any species because they can't talk and tell us to back off if we're stressing them or if they're sick and feeling like they want to lash out. Obviously some animals are more dangerous than others. This ridiculous anthropomorphism that many dog owners indulge in is harmful. They don't have the intelligence to treat their pet as what it is, an animal, not their fur baby or harmless fluffikins or whatever. A decent, experienced owner can help minimise the likelihood of an attack happening, but it's never zero and parentage and upbringing, socialisation etc. only goes a certain way towards reducing harm.

Animals revert to type when stressed, sick or agitated. Big, powerful dogs of any breed can represent a threat. I'd rather try to prize a shitzhu off my arm than a bully dog.

The rule is that you never ever leave a child alone with a dog.

Seeing the mount of injuries the mother sustained, I’d say that her being present didn’t make a lot of difference tbh….