[Abbymarie]

Okay from what I gather this dog picked the baby up by the head, right?

Well if thats the case, first of all He probably had never been around an infant. Second it may have been his way of nurturing. How do the parent dogs carry the pups around. They pick the up the pup by the scruff of the neck and carry them in their mouth. He understood it was a baby I think but not that he hurt it. I don't think there was any intent involved.

If the baby was in the crib, why was the dog allowed in the room. Why wasn't there a gate up or the door closed.

I'm sorry but this seems unfair to the dog. Yes the parents I understand not wanting the dog back, and maybe never wanting another dog. This was a huge tragedy to them.

But turn him over to the state and let them decide what to do with him. Maybe let him live.


Bottom line this was a tragedy, and I think not knowing the whole story gives us the right to say nothing. Because we don't know what happened so who are we to say Kill the dog or let him live?

Honestly i'd give the dog another chance but its not my call. I don't have kids but I know there is no worse pain than losing a child. After all our children our supposed to bury us, not the other way around

[Criosphynx]

Originally Posted by JDub

Yes



And I bet I could guess at least 15 of them.

Harsh man, just harsh....



Do i think the dog needs to be put down ..... no

Do i think there are too many non biting dogs that need a chance too? Yes

Since we are in a society that is picking and chosing which dogs live i think only the only logical solution is to pick the dogs that DONT bite.

If there wasn't an overpop issue i'd scream "save the dog" too. But there are just too many deserving dogs being killed daily.

My four should be dead. To think som'one would rather keep a baby killer alive in place one of my four is very saddening. Any home that dog is placed with takes away a home from another dog.

[Abbymarie]

Originally Posted by Criosphynx

Harsh man, just harsh....



Do i think the dog needs to be put down ..... no

Do i think there are too many non biting dogs that need a chance too? Yes

Since we are in a society that is picking and chosing which dogs live i think only the only logical solution is to pick the dogs that DONT bite.

If there wasn't an overpop issue i'd scream "save the dog" too. But there are just too many deserving dogs being killed daily.

My four should be dead. To think som'one would rather keep a baby killer alive than one of my four is very saddening.

I still don't think its our place to make the call whether the dog should die or not. We don't have all the facts. Turn the dog over to the state and let them decide.

If you read my previous comment I think he was acting out of instinct and the parents should have known to keep the dog away from the baby when they aren't watching. If the baby was in the crib...there should have been a gate or the door should have been shut....that is what baby monitors are for so you can hear the baby cry. so it would be okay to shut the door.

I still see this as a terrible tragedy and we have no right to say what happens to the dog. Only the people involved or the state....Chances are the dog has been euthanized by now anyway, I imagine that is what the family decided to do

I just don't know.

I know my dog was going to be put down due to lack of room. 8 weeks old and on death row and she had never done anything wrong, just wasn't enough room in the inn so to speak.

I'm torn on this issue but I feel the people involved will make the best decision

[Criosphynx]

Originally Posted by Abbymarie

I still don't think its our place to make the call whether the dog should die or not. We don't have all the facts. Turn the dog over to the state and let them decide.

If you read my previous comment I think he was acting out of instinct and the parents should have known to keep the dog away from the baby when they aren't watching. If the baby was in the crib...there should have been a gate or the door should have been shut....that is what baby monitors are for so you can hear the baby cry. so it would be okay to shut the door.

I still see this as a terrible tragedy and we have no right to say what happens to the dog. Only the people involved or the state....Chances are the dog has been euthanized by now anyway, I imagine that is what the family decided to do

I just don't know.

I know my dog was going to be put down due to lack of room. 8 weeks old and on death row and she had never done anything wrong, just wasn't enough room in the inn so to speak.

I'm torn on this issue but I feel the people involved will make the best decision

I agree. Im also "know" this dog will be euthed.

We aren't making any calls. We discussing it in a forum. Nothing we say here really affects this dog.

my point also is that very very very few people are willing to take on a dog like this. Accident or not. Even if the dog was spared, it would die due to space issues.

[Abbymarie]

Originally Posted by Criosphynx

I agree. Im also "know" this dog will be euthed.

We aren't making any calls. We discussing it in a forum. Nothing we say here really affects this dog.

my point also is that very very very few people are willing to take on a dog like this. Accident or not. Even if the dog was spared, it would die due to space issues.

I personally don't think the dog stands a chance....if it didn't get euthanized and I'm pretty sure he already did....there are too many other dogs in the system that haven't done anything like this and aren't getting adopted. Like i said my Sasha was on death row by 8 weeks of age due to lack of room....luckily the morning her and her sister were going to be put down the rescue pulled them and soon after that she came to live with me.....My Sasha was just going to be another Statistic.

so though I'm big on second chances this dog wont stand a chance at getting adopted.

So I think all parties involved whatever decision has been or will be made is in the best interest of everyone....

So I agree with you, the dog doesn't stand a chance of being adopted though I don't think he meant any harm to the child

[Lili]

This thread has made me think of a personal situation... and it’s making me re-evaluate if what was done at the time was indeed right...

We had a Welsh Terrier when I was young, and when I was about 12 years old I think (or maybe younger, I can't recall for sure), this dog bit me in the face. She was watching my mom cut carrots (she looooved carrots), and I bent down to pick her up... and she bit me! Of course, my parents freaked out - she had missed one of my eyes by a few centimetres, but the scratches were only superficial (no stitches needed). My parents’ initial reaction was to put the dog to sleep. But when I heard that (after the initial shock had passed and I had realised I was going to be ok) I cried and cried pleading for them to let her live! (Not saying I should or am the one who made the call at the time – I was a kid, but I made sure I voiced my opinion! Children!) That dog lived to be 16 years old. BUT... she had some history of biting... An old neighbour of ours was bitten by that dog - in "the area" - when I was even younger.... He chose not to press charges on my parents, because he really like me, but he suffered a great deal.

Anyway, what I'm now thinking is should my parents had made the decision to put her to sleep or get rid of her earlier, before anything happen to me, or right after it did...? I'm not judging them and can't say for sure what would have been best, only that I'm so glad I got to spend 16 years with this dog.

That's why this sad story is so hard to comment on for me, since I was not there, I don't have all the info like many said... My dog was given a second (and third and...?) chance... Was it wrong? Maybe... Was it foolish (in a “it won’t ever happen again or nothing serious will” kinda way)?... Definitively… But nothing is ever black or white... At least, in my opinion. I know for some of you, it is, and that’s ok… I simply think that we can all have an opinion on everything and anything, but until a given situation – such as this one – actually happens to us directly, we cannot entirely appreciate all the heartbreaking and mind-boggling dilemmas we would need to face, and how we would choose to cope in such a tragic circumstance… Thinking about how we would handle it or having some related experiences to this tragedy helps one to make up one’s mind, but living it is another tale…

I'm not getting anywhere really... Just wanted to share my personal story and state that I appreciate reading all your views. Even though we might not all agree, I find it really informative and eye opening to read others' comments -- when they are made in a respectful way!

[flipgirl]

I don't really like the idea of killing any living being.

I just saw a program on animals who 'went crazy'. One of the stories was about a circus elephant who just got so frustrated and while people were on her back, she destroyed the tent and rampaged through the fairgrounds. She hurt some people and eventually was shot to death. I don't like animals being used for circus stunts or for silly shows but in this particular circus, the elephants were being treated terribly. Hit with sharp instruments and beaten. Should the elephant be killed in this situation?

You hear about bear attacks and the bear gets shot. You hear about tigers attacking zookeepers and they get shot. We are encroaching on the bears' habitat and then we shoot them when they come into our territory? We put them in cages and expose them to people gawking at them and we shoot them for being frustrated?

I don't want to judge but the parents should have made sure that the dog was not alone with the baby. Maybe this dog had never been aggressive or bitten anyone but had it been exposed to a baby? Instinct or not, the dog shouldn't have been alone with the baby.

But I understand that rehoming this dog who has nevertheless killed a baby would take away a loving home from another deserving dog. And in light of the parents' suffering and grief, I would leave it up to them if they wanted the dog euthanized.