Another fatal dog attack

[Viviennemary]

I felt sick when I just saw this on Sky News. A nine month old baby in Wales. Its desperately sad. But when is anything going to be done about those dangerous dogs. Legislation is needed.

That is just awful. The poor baby.

Our local thick XL owners don't even bother with a muzzle anymore. I reported one to the police (on an extendable lead in shopping precinct) and got a phone call (!!! 🙄) in response with a long winded explanation about how they can't establish what breed a dog is and can't investigate. Knob.

Absolutely tragic. ThatsNotAKnife - maybe contact your MP, especially in light of this.

Legislation won't happen, sadly. Starmer is unable to identify a woman, out of 2 genders, so his brain will explode if he is forced to identify dangerous dog breeds out of several 100.

Seriously though, some people are just terminally stupid, and you can't legislate for stupid.

Shocking and horrific news. Any report on the breed of the dog?

I saw a dog bite on someone's arm on the ambulance programme last week. Horrendous. I can't begin to think what would happen to a baby.

Reportedly declared dead at the scene. You wouldn’t normally do that for a baby. The injuries must have been unthinkable.

The it wouldn't hurt a fly from thick owners .
It's not a fly I'm worried about.
Unmuzzeled mutant dog opposite us takes the owner for a walk if it flipped out she couldn't possibly control it and she has young children in the flat.

How sad.

I don’t know the details of this specific case but the issue with legislation is it’s usually focused on controlling these dogs outside of the home.

The children who are killed by the dogs are usually the owners children or relatives who are inside the home. So they don’t get any protection basically.

BBC are reporting that the poor baby has died. So incredibly sad.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0exdqpv3vvo

This. The dangerous dogs act covers public conduct. It doesn’t govern what occurs in private and no doubt it would be difficult to do so I suppose.

This is sickening and I do think the parents should be held accountable under child cruelty laws. There also needs to be more awareness and perhaps HV’s and midwives need training on pets in the home. They ask safeguarding questions regarding domestic abuse etc they should be bringing this into it.

Midwives and hv have no sway over pets. What do you think they can do?! People always say “he wouldn’t hurt a fly”.

There also needs to be more awareness and perhaps HV’s and midwives need training on pets in the home. They ask safeguarding questions regarding domestic abuse etc they should be bringing this into it

They do, or at least the HV I had did; she asked about our spaniel & how we planned to manage him around baby but obviously could only take our answers (that he never left unattended & we'd read guidance from Dog's Trust etc) at face value. We never had a midwife visit our home, our appointments are all in clinics here now (even the first one when DS was 24 hours old, the least comfortable car journey of my life!) so I'm not sure if they knew we had a dog.

I think much stricter laws should come into force regarding certain breeds of dogs in homes with young children. But sometimes its visiting dogs who attack. Details haven't been released yet. Last night I read police were trying to establish what breed of dog. I would think it was a pit bull type or a rottweiler.

They don’t have sway over domestic abuse either often but they can signpost and offer advice. They can offer advice and ask questions.

Oh that’s horrible! As far as I am aware, they’re still home visits here in the U.K. As diligent as I am you would struggle to drag me out to an appointment often weekly during my postpartum trench like state.

I'm in the UK (England). Had DS at 8.20am, home from hospital by 3pm and was phoned at 8.30am the following morning & at the local clinic by 9.30am for first check up.

That’s so strange, did you reject home visits or was this just them telling you you had no choice but to come in person?

Apparently from what I have heard on tv the dog flipped out at fireworks going off and attacked the baby.

No option, clinic only. I'd have loved a home visit, I had a load of stitches so car ride was not fun!!

What breed of dog was it?

Sorry but the Dangerous Dogs Act does cover private property under Section 3. This from www.cps.co.uk.

"Under section 3 Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, if any dog is dangerously out of control in any place, including all private property, the owner, or person for the time being in charge of the dog, is guilty of a summary offence. It is for the prosecution to prove that an act or omission by the defendant, with or without fault, to more than a minimal degree, caused or permitted the dog to be dangerously out of control. It is not necessary to prove recklessness or intent. It is no defence that the owner had no reason to appreciate that their dog might behave in this way: Bezzina [1994] 1 WLR 1057. There must be some causal connection between having control of the dog and the circumstances of the incident. The offence becomes an aggravated offence, and triable either way, if the dog injures any person or an assistance dog while out of control."

How can you possibly say “you think” it will be one of those 2 breeds, honestly this is pure ignorant speculation on your part. The last baby I read about that died was killed by a Jack Russell terrier.

I loathe XL bullies and think they should absolutely be fully banned and die out as they are such a risk. True Pitbulls are banned anyway aren’t they under the DDA?
People that mix up Staffies with XL’s etc are just stupid.

And every Rottweiler I’ve ever met and known has been an absolute softie and cuddle bug. And way more of a scaredy cat than any terrier or chihuahua ever!

Part of the problem is that there are so many cross breeds that it's not always possible to decisively say what breed a dog actually is. This is how some of them get through the loop. I assume the dog has been destroyed now but that really is shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

Not been said yet in any reports I’ve seen.