Dog attacks child, but is not put down

[Lace Neil Singer]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4812831a11.html

Is it right that this dog is spared being destroyed cuz of provocation? Does the fact that the child provoked the dog mean that the dog is not dangerous? Is the mother right, or do you agree with the dog's handlers?

[Greenday]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4812831a11.html

Is it right that this dog is spared being destroyed cuz of provocation? Does the fact that the child provoked the dog mean that the dog is not dangerous? Is the mother right, or do you agree with the dog's handlers?

Well, if you grabbed my balls and yanked them a few times, I'd probably kick some ass too.

Unless the dog has a history of attacking people WITHOUT being provoked, there is no reason to put the dog down. Now, why the mom thinks it's ok for her precious angel to yank on the dog's balls is ok is beyond me.

[McDreidel09]

If the dog is not normally an attacker, then no, it should not be put down. Now, if it has a history of attacking people,then yes, something should be done. Even animals deserve a second chance.

[Greenday]

If the dog is not normally an attacker, then no, it should not be put down. Now, if it has a history of attacking people,then yes, something should be done. Even animals deserve a second chance.

Second chance? The dog defended itself. In my opinion, it hasn't done anything wrong yet.

[McDreidel09]

Second chance? The dog defended itself. In my opinion, it hasn't done anything wrong yet.

I didn't mean just this specfic case. I meant in all cases. I didn't word everything properly.

[AdminAssistant]

Here's the most important part:

The investigation also revealed the child had been involved in two previous incidents of alleged animal cruelty

Maybe the kid learned a lesson. The animal defended itself, and therefore should not be punished. The mother should probably also take some parenting classes - child was in a yard with a pool and she wasn't watching him? What the hell, lady?

And the mohawk is such a hawt look for a toddler.

[Pedersen]

Is it right that this dog is spared being destroyed cuz of provocation?

May I try a bit of rewording of the question for you? If so, riddle me this:

Is self-defense a justifiable reason to attack someone?

If so, then this dog is free and clear. If not, then what should an animal do when being chased by someone who has invaded its territory and will not stop attacking it?

[Cat]

Sounds like the dog was defending himself. Dog should live.

This is why I warn people who visit me that the tabby cat will bite. Only pet her a few seconds, she like it, then she will attack.

[Gabrielle Proctor]

Sounds like the dog was defending himself. Dog should live.

This is why I warn people who visit me that the tabby cat will bite. Only pet her a few seconds, she like it, then she will attack.

I ALWAYS warn kids about my rat terrier(I even engraved his tag to say "My name is Tyke. I bite children"lol). He doesn't trust kids, so almost anything they do is a threat to him. Does that stop them? No. When he snaps at them(he never bites, but he will give warnings), I just say, "What did I tell you? You should listen to me when I tell you things."

[Boozy]

This mother is a real piece of work. She`s raising an abusive little psychopath and is blaming everyone but herself for the consequences.

She is condemning her child to a life in prison.

[Lace Neil Singer]

This is why I warn people who visit me that the tabby cat will bite. Only pet her a few seconds, she like it, then she will attack.

I always warned people about my cat; she's basically an attack cat, especially towards men. No reason whatsoever for this strange behaviour; she just seems to prefer women over men as far as interaction goes.

I have to say that if a child continuously provokes a dog (ahem, where was the mother? O_o) to the point that the dog, driven into a corner, is provoked into an attack, then it's not really fair that the dog be destroyed. I'd say that dog could probably use a lot of training and therapy to get it over being harried like that. I wouldn't go so far as to label the child a psychopath tho; young kids do hurt other kids and animals, and don't necessarily realise that what they're doing causes pain.

Example: Back in the mists of time, when I was a kid and my parents had just got a dog from a rescue centre, the dog once, and only once, bit my little brother. It was entirely my brother's fault; the dog had shown, by heading to her basket, that she'd had enough of being mauled about. My brother was not being cruel or provoking, but he was very young at the time and young children don't always know that what they are doing is not a good idea.

The dog bit him. My mum reacted instantly; the dog was placed outside, not in a punishing sense, but to get her out of the situation. My brother was dealt with as far as the bite was concerned; it didn't even break the skin and wasn't even a bite really, just a nip. He was then told that when the dog went to her basket, that meant she'd had enough and to leave her alone, dammit. He never did that again, and the dog never bit anyone again; mostly cuz when we told other young children that my little brother had been nipped by the dog for bugging her in her basket.

This was a perfectly normal (as in, not an abused or tortured dog) animal, that we'd gotten from a rescue centre. She had been neglected, but not abused. It's a natural reaction from a dog, or even a person, to hit out at someone who's continually harrassing it. Point in question; if someone was continually bugging me, I might be provoked into clocking them one. O_o

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Dog has no history of prior problems.

Dog is a mastiff that I know is an extremely reliable, gentle breed. They were bred for protection. They are not vicious dogs. For one to bite like that he must've been harmed or extremely provoked.

It was not the first time the kid provoked the dog, and the dog didn't bite prior.

The dog bit him. It didn't attack him. Mastiff weigh upwards of 200 pounds and can puncture and ruin a car tire. They can bite through a car bumper. They are like bears. The fact that that's the only injury the kid suffered tells me that the dog was intending to warn, not harm. Which is in keeping with my comments about the breed. If the dog "attacked" him, he'd be dead.

The owner's reaction tells me he is not an irresponsible pet owner.

I'm not sure I can say the mom is a responsible parent. Her kid doesn't listen to her, and she's trying to pass the buck.

Putting down the dog would be a pointless waste. I don't believe the dog is a danger, nor do I think he'll be a repeat offender. I can't say the same about the kid.

I hope his face heals up okay, and I hope he learned a lesson. I doubt his mom has.

[DesignFox]

In the article it states that the dog has no prior history of biting or attacking.

The child, on the other hand, has been involved in two instances of animal abuse already.

At the party, the child was seen squeezing the dog's testicles. If that's not being provoked, then I don't know what is.

Seems open and shut to me. I'm glad that, for once, the authorities have done the right thing and let the animal live.

Maybe the little fucker will think twice before molesting an animal again.

[protege]

This is why I warn people who visit me that the tabby cat will bite. Only pet her a few seconds, she like it, then she will attack.

My cat would do that too. Snow, who was deaf, wouldn't attack anyone. That is, unless she was sleeping, and you startled her. She'd get scared, and would sink her teeth/claws into whatever was nearby. In fact, that's why she was at the shelter--her prior owner's dog wouldn't leave her alone. Snow would be asleep, doggie would want to play, she'd get pissed and attack the dog

Getting back on topic, I think the kid got what was coming. Like some of the others here...if someone yanked on my balls, I'd kick their ass too

[crashhelmet]

What I wonder is if this dog had been a pit bull, would we have learned that he grabbed its testicles? Would the dog still have been spared?

CH