S.C. girl killed by family's Rottweilers

[mmilard]

This happened in a few counties from mine and I am so upset right now, I could probally spit nails! This 3 year old little girl was OUTSIDE ALONE while her parents were in the house. What this article does not say is that one Rott was tied out on a cable attached to a tree and the other Rott was in a home made field fence pen, the kind of fencing that is used for cattle. The pen was so flimsy that the child alone could probally knock it over. The Rott in the pen got out and the little girl "walked into" the dog fight, and lost her life. Here in our state, if it is the owners dogs that attack them, and they are on thier property, the laws state that they will not have the dogs PTS, however, these owners are requesting that they be put down because they killed their child. My question is and what upsets me the most is, why on earth would the parents let a 3 year old outside by herself?? I guess that is what I do not understand. Below is a copy of the article.


Melissa



Three-year-old Killed In Dog Attack


Amanda Abbott and Russ Bradley
News Channel 7
Monday, May 2, 2005


Spartanburg County Sheriff's deputies are investigating what they say is a deadly dog attack on Stone Hill Drive off Clifton Glendale Road.

We're told a three-year old child is dead. Investigators say two dogs were involved in the incident ,which occurred late this afternoon.

The dogs, a pair of Rottweilers, are owned by the family. Animal Control has taken custody of the dogs. Investigators say the child was outside playing alone while the parents were inside the home.

Both dogs were taken to the Spartanburg Humane Society tonight, where they will remain for the next ten days. At that point, the dogs can be released back to the family since state laws does not allow the dogs to be destroyed because both animals were on the property of the owners, and were restrained. The family does tell News Channel 7 that they will request the dogs be put down.

[chewys mom]

The dogs did or didn't belong to the family with the 3 year old? That seemed unclear to me.

[mmilard]

Originally Posted by chewys mom

The dogs did or didn't belong to the family with the 3 year old? That seemed unclear to me.

Sorry about that. But the dogs did belong to the family of the 3 year old. They were her parents dogs.

[K9-man]

Originally Posted by mmilard

what upsets me the most is, why on earth would the parents let a 3 year old outside by herself?? I guess that is what I do not understand.

Because they're stupid and neglectful beyond belief!!! Both these people should be sterilized!

[brandygirl]

Again... another case of a BIG human error and (more than likely) good dogs will pay for their human's mistakes with their lives.

I feel sorry for the families loss - but the dogs were being dogs. And as it seriously looks like the parents were being negligent with their child... a 3 year old outside ALONE?? but were also negligent with their dogs (1 of 2 dogs poorly restrained).

This whole incident reeks!!

[mmilard]

I couldn't agree more. This afternoon they had it on the news again. They said that the father was inside the house taking a NAP! They didn't say where the mother was at all. They are now saying that they don't know if the child instigated the attack, or if there was another animal in the yard. They say that one of the Rotts was more aggressive then the other, but never showed any aggression to the family, just neighbors. It just breaks my heart, that little girl was so beautiful and had her life ahead of her.

[bfiney]

Totally unacceptable! I have a 3 year old daughter. She is NEVER outside alone! OMG! Not to mention being left alone with 2 dogs - at least 1 of which has some aggression problems.

[Birdie'sMom]

These people are complete idiots. I do still think that the dogs need to be destroyed, though. Especially if the other option is to keep them with these irresponsible people! No point in taking any chances with these dogs, again. Poor little girl. It's not her fault that her parents are morons, yet she paid the ultimate price.

[Terrie]

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - A 4-year-old girl has died after she was attacked by two of the family's Rottweilers, Spartanburg County officials said.

Asia Michelle Turner was found near one of the dogs about 5 p.m. Monday, investigators said.

Both dogs had played with the girl in the past and had never been aggressive, Robin Forrest, an investigator with the coroner's office, said after speaking with the family.

William Matthew Turner told investigators he, Asia and her younger brother had been taking a nap. Turner said when he awoke, he could not find the girl.

Turner said he found the dog that normally was in a fenced enclosure was loose. He put him in the house and continued to search.

He found her (Asia) at the chained dog, Forrest said.

Both dogs were involved, Forrest said.

An autopsy was planned Tuesday.

The Turners' neighbors had been worried about the dogs.

Next-door neighbor Robert Patterson said he thought about getting a gun, but decided to extend his fence, instead. Patterson said he was working on the fence when he heard a yell and ran over to find William Turner with his badly injured daughter.

The dogs were taken by animal control officers who will hold them until their fate is decided.


I swear these parents need to be taken into holding where their fate will be decided

[Terrie]

Moderators I just posted the full story of this in the news forum. Please feel free to move it....my apologies

[Puppy Love]

It is always so sad to here stories like this If the parents would have only been watching her or checking on her this might not have happend how sad!

[beledi]

Originally Posted by K9-man

Because they're stupid and neglectful beyond belief!!! Both these people should be sterilized!

I agree! Such stupidity and what a shame all the innocent suffer. The parents should receive some sort of jail sentence for this. It sure seems like a case of child neglect, and how long were these poor dogs tied to a tree and stuck in a pen of straw. Sometimes I am ashamed of being called a human being when I hear about this sort of stupidity.

Beledi/Erda's mom

[Maryn306]

Here's a longer article-

Posted on Wed, May. 04, 2005

COURTESY SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL
Asia Turner

Rottweilers kill 4-year-old girl in latest deadly Upstate dog attack

By TERESA KILLIAN

The (Spartanburg) Herald-Journal

Less than 24 hours after two Rottweilers killed their owners’ 4-year-old daughter, the dogs were euthanized at the family’s request.

The grandmother of Asia Turner said the girl’s parents never again wanted to see the 3-year-old male dogs, Duke and Luke. The dogs were put down just before 1 p.m. Tuesday.

“It’s not going to bring Asia back, but it will sure keep the dogs from doing another attack,” Lana Bogan said. “If they do it once ....”

Asia apparently wandered outside her family’s 231 Stone Hill Drive house Monday afternoon without the knowledge of her father, who was inside with her little brother.

Matt Turner found his badly injured daughter about 5 p.m. Monday near the dog, which was tethered to a tree. Their other Rottweiler apparently broke out of a fenced enclosure.

Though the dogs had made neighbors nervous, the Turners never imagined they would hurt their little girl.

“I pray people with big dogs that say, ‘That’s the family dog. It’d be all right’ ... I hope they think twice,” Bogan said.

Asia’s death marked the third fatal dog attack on a child in Spartanburg County in less than two years, said Don Arnold, director of Spartanburg County’s Environmental Enforcement Department.

All involved large dogs — Rottweilers, pit bulls and Great Danes — that were on chains. Though chaining animals is a common practice to keep dogs on a person’s property and in compliance with the law, it can be dangerous.

Dogs’ instincts and defensiveness can prove deadly for children or elderly people who unknowingly step across the invisible line of a tethered dog’s territory.

“I view a chained dog just like a loaded gun,” Arnold said. “... It’s only a matter of time.”

DOGS

It’s not a dog’s breed that makes it potentially dangerous, but “the bigger dogs, the stronger dogs — like your Rotties, pit bulls, Great Danes — when they bite, something bad happens just because of their very size,” Arnold said.

Asia’s grandmother said the Turners’ Rottweilers originally belonged to other family members, and Asia’s father, Matt Turner, continued caring for them when the others were not able to.

Duke and Luke went with the Turner family when they moved about a month ago to Stone Hill Drive.

Asia seemed comfortable with them, and the family has pictures of them together. She loved animals — from cats to her new puppy, Hershey.

But Arnold said sometimes a child squealing or fast movements can trigger a dog’s instincts to chase or bark.

Often children have not learned how to react safely — not to run and to avoid eye contact — to a dog’s bristled up hair and low growls.

“A child can’t read that dog telling them, ‘Stay away, you’re in my territory,’” Arnold said.

In 2004, a pit bull-Labrador mix chained in a side yard in Greer killed a 19-month old boy.

In 2003, a 2-year-old in Roebuck was found fatally injured near a neighbor’s chained Great Danes.

Investigators don’t know what triggered the attack on Asia.

Arnold wondered whether the dog that was loose fought with the chained dog and Asia tried to stop them.

Or maybe she wandered into the area where the dog was chained, perhaps to retrieve her puppy.

“Everyone will have an opinion, but all the evidence tells us is there was an attack,” Arnold said. “There is a deceased victim. Both dogs participated.”

FAMILY GRIEVING

Meanwhile, Asia’s family is grieving for the little girl who was anything but shy and withdrawn.

Neighbors said she often wandered over to their houses. Bogan said Asia eagerly gave hugs and said, “I love you.”

The family isn’t sure how they are going to pay for the funeral after just buying the house.

Bogan was hoping her granddaughter could be buried next to her mother’s father, so she wouldn’t be alone.

Her mother wants to dress her like a princess, because she enjoyed princesses.

No charges have been filed in the case. Sheriff’s investigators will meet with the 7th Circuit Solicitor’s Office to review the information to determine whether any further action will be taken.

Arnold could explore issuing citations against the dog’s owners, such as failure to display rabies tags, but he does not expect to. “They’ve been through enough,” Arnold said.
_________________________________________

It's a damn shame. The girl had wandered to neighbors before obviously. Negligence kills.

[LavenderRott]

Neighbors said she often wandered over to their houses. Bogan said Asia eagerly gave hugs and said, “I love you.”

HMMM. This just says a lot doesn't it.

[mmilard]

Originally Posted by LavenderRott

HMMM. This just says a lot doesn't it.

And to think, no charges will be filed against the family because they have "gone through enough". Well not enough in my opnion.