That's so sad. You have to wonder though, it said the girl was being monitored but somehow no one saw the attack. It just sounds fishy to me. Especially knowing the dogs are friendly dogs. Like where they really keeping as eye on her or was she out playing and they looked out every so often.
When I'm watching small children, when I say watching I'm actually right there actively watching or playing with them, and a strange dog walks up, I put myself in between the child and the dog. I do the same thing with my own dogs when there is a strange dog. Even if the dog seems friendly. I make sure they the kid or kids (or dogs) are out of harms way. Because that other dog doesn't know you. They are learning what your movements mean for the first time so you can't move too fast and never look them in the eye. They need plenty of space so they don't feel trapped either.
I wish more people knew dog safety. I think all parents need to know how to handle a situation like this and to teach their children what to do if they aren't around when a stray dog shows up. I'm so thankful my parents taught me how to deal with stray and off leash dogs from an early age. I had no clue that others weren't taught at all until I was much older. It's such a good life lesson that you can always use. I can't count the times I've had strays or off leash dogs run up to me. 3 of them being the dogs I have now.
It's a shame the little girl didn't make it. I hope they are able to figure out what happened. And I hope the dogs aren't punished for the idiocy of their owner. It's not the dogs' fault that their owner put them in a situation for that to happen.
A terrible tragedy. There seems to be something missing from this story. The dogs knew the child concerned and she knew them. The dogs often played with the neighbour's children. So what set them off? Maybe we will never know.
However, this sentence in the article makes me wonder even more: "The girl was being supervised by an adult but it doesn’t appear anyone witnessed the mauling, Seel said." That is not logical. How can the girl be supervised but no-one saw what happened? The so-called supervisor must have been a very long way away, not to have heard any screaming. So that is hardly "supervised", by any normal use of the word.
But of course it is always easy to be wise after the event.
That is so very tragic. Poor girl, and I feel deeply for her whole family.
The incident doesn't sound right at all. I agree with LPC....surely someone 'supervising' -if even just around a bush or corner of a building, would have heard the girl's screams?? She surely would have screamed at some point, unless she was knocked to the ground and knocked out.
I obviously don't know what happened, but this is a terrible tragedy. What caused it? Who knows. All dogs do have different temperaments -some tolerate children happily, and some don't, and have the ability to 'turn' suddenly. In the case of a small dog doing this, there's shock and a bite injury. But in the case of two large dogs, maybe weighing 100lbs or more each, a little girl would stand no chance.
Anything can make a susceptible dog 'turn' -jealousy...competition for food...food aggression....being tampered with physically, beyond its comfort-point (a dog will usually give a warning first when it's had enough petting that it isn't in the mood for, but unfortunately I have often seen children ignore this warning, and it has sent chills down my spine)
Ear-piercing shrieks that children make sometimes when playing, can also upset a dog, and make it defensive.
I am sure the dogs will be put to sleep now.
The whole thing is very sad. Nothing can bring the child back, but I am sure they will kill the two dogs anyhow.
We will never fully know what happened. However, the child was only seven and that is very young to be alone with big dogs. If she was being supervised then how come no one saw what happened. Maybe it was a case of everybody was watching ,so no one was actually responsible to watch, so in the end no one was watching.
In the end the child and the dogs end up paying with their lives.
You have to take training and pass a test to drive a car. Maybe there needs to be some type of education requirement when you own a dog.
(03-19-2014, 01:45 PM)Catherine Wrote: [ -> ]You have to take training and pass a test to drive a car. Maybe there needs to be some type of education requirement when you own a dog.
Yes they do! I've been saying it for years. A lot of rescues make you go though a class before they let you adopt one of their dogs but not all and it's not regulated. Some cities make you register your dog. Which would be a good idea but then they should add that to register your dog you have to go though a training class and pass. The class would teach owners basic dog care and expenses. How to walk your dog out in public but also what to do if a stray dog walks up. How to instruct people who want to pet your dog. basic commands and practices that every owner needs to know. Like feeding time. I can't count the number of people that don't how to feed their dog properly. Walking out a door with your dog. Stopping them from darting out the door every time you open the door. Car safety. Even could go over the benefits of different diets for different breeds. Even down to what toys to avoid and what games you should never play with your dog (tug-of-war). Every action you do or don't do with your dog is communicating a message. What are you communicating?... I would so sign up for being a teacher!!!
They need to regulate breeding too. Like a female dog can't have more than 1 litter a year. That would make breeders take more care in what dogs to breed and genetics. And if the genetics of the dog are undesirable the dog is fixed and adopted out as a special needs. Do you realize the impact even that little bit would have on the over population of dogs? Plus less genetic related health issues passed to future generation of pups. That could help on the mental stability of the breeds.
I agree with you. Many people mean well when the get a dog, but they don't really know what they are doing. A little training for the owner and the dog would be a good thing. Maybe tragedies like this one could be avoided.
Oddly people who fear a little harmless corn snake(that can't hurt you) are perfectly fine taking chances with a dog(that can hurt you).
People are terrible about approaching strange dogs. They don't stop to think about how the dog might react.
This is not the first time a dog has killed a young child. There have been so many cases you would think that people would be more cautious now. But they are not. Mistakes get repeated over and over. It isn't even strangers dogs, usually the dog is known. I have read cases of friends dogs, family members dogs and even the parents own dog. What is similar is the circumstances. Usually a small child is unsupervised with the dog. In one case a newborn baby was left in a car seat on the floor, with the dog, while the adults went out to smoke. It is all very sad and very preventable
You are right about breeders needing to regulate breeding. I would think that actual breeders do control and plan breeding. It is puppy mill breeders who push for many litters a year. That and people who neglect to spay their dog contribute to the overpopulation that puts so many dogs at risk. All of it is preventable.
