Another sad day - 2 year old mauled by rottweiler

[winniecnm]

Here is another reason why a dog should never be tied out - legal or not.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

My heart cries for the girl's family.

The rottweiler owner was a worker for an animal adoption service "Pet Guardian Angel" in TX. One group of people who you would HOPE to have better common sense in this matter. The dog was tied out in the backyard, which was not fenced. The little girl wandered away from her sitter's home and was found dead in the rottweiler owner's backyard.

It is just a shame, a terrible shame that the adults in this community in FAILED her so miserably.

[Dugganmom]

Geez..it never ends how can people be sooooo stupid and where was the caretaker of the little girl? STUPID PEOPLE!!!

[SaranBear]

How on Earth does a 2 yr old wander away? I realize that tying up dogs is NOT a good thing, and is not responsible dog ownership. However,I feel the onus is on the child's guardian, not the dog owner. What a horrible situation, but in my eyes it's a reflection on the parents and society as a whole.

[GypsysMom]

I agree why was this baby wandering??? Yes I know the dog is the attacker no excuse for it at all, I myself have tied my dogs while Im out with them but who in their right mind does that and is not right with the dogs??????????????I have seen several dogs around me chained up and nobody home, a mean pit lives down the road and when he isnt tied he runs loose an accident waiting to happen......... I feel sorry for this family and the babysitter should be charged as well

[BradMcLeod]

My, my, will the irresponsibilty never end?

This comes on a day when Kinzie was sitting ever so pretty while 2 3 year olds gave her lots of love.

[spoiledbabies3]

This is really sad... A rottie lost its life because of an irresponsible owner but unfortunately tying up is thought to be a good choice by many so called owners. The most sad though is that a small child has lost her life... I'm angry because the rottie will be forever blamed...my question is where was the sitter? and most importantly why would a mother leave her 2 yo child with someone that irresponsible? isn't it a parents responsibility to make certain their child is SAFE??? The owner and the other adults in this scenario need to be the ones held accountable...but that won't even be addressed.... I'm venting because I see this crap all over the state of Texas...when will people wake up and do it right?

[GypsysMom]

I get very paranoid when my kids stay at a sitters even if they are my parents or inlaws, I trust my dogs BUT I dont leave them in a situattion where an incident could occur when Im gone all kids say inside wheter it be nice out or not unless I have my mom or dh mom at my home, and the dogs are ALWAYS locked in their crates and noone is to go downstairs.. I heard a story once of a couple that owned a wolf mix and left it tied up all day every day in the back yard, well these morons sent their 3 yr old son to feed the dog and the dog attacked him killing him , and the parents were charged and the dog put down. I feel leaving your dog tied up when you are away and not outside with them should be enforced just like a leash law. Everyone knows that a tied dog gets aggressive, territoral, etc.. Yes I do it only when Im outside, and the dogs want some relax time in the yard, and only becuase I dont have a fence and my kennel is not up yet But under NO circumstance do I go inside or leave my house, when Im inside so are my dogs.

I know these people are greiving, but I'm worried about why charges of neglect havent been crought upon the sitter, asa a parent you think you can trust people and you rely on that, but its not always the case my youngest is 5 and I cant imagine her walking off even at 2 and nobody knowing, thats what I dont understand.

[onthedl74]

What I don't understand is how a 2 year old wanders out of a house for any period of time? Do these people live in tents? Doesn't the kid have to open a door?

I know it was legal in this state but this is a prime example of why dogs should not be tied in an unfenced yard or tied outside at all for that matter!

[GrahamsMomma]

thats awful! firstly the so called care taker should have been with that child at all times. I don't care what kind of dog you have or how old it is or how long you've had it around your kids....NEVER leave a child alone with a dog.


I read an article earlier this month about a 6 month old infant being killed by the household pet pomeranian. The infant was crawling and tugged on the dogs tail while the parents were outside smoking a cigarette,left the child in the living room near cords as well. The child tugged the hair and the dog attacked her and killed her. My mom also told me a story that was in a canadian newspaper back in october of 2003.



When my grandmother had passed on my parents immediately went up to canada to take care of things and mom called me and read this article she read in the daily newspaper. This guy had 4 rotties and left one at home and brought 2 males and 1 in heat female over to his friends to do some electrical work in the basement. left the 4 yr old child upstairs and when they looked out the window they saw the 2 males shredding something to pieces, they didnt even bother to go check on the child. The 4 yr old was mauled to death because the owner supposedly wasnt aware his bitch was in her estrus cycle so the males fought over her. they saw the child as a threat. The man was charged with child endangerment,man slaughter, and the dogs, even the one at home were shot to death by animal control. It was HIS fault not the rotties!!! They were doing common nature and out came an unwatched child to play with the dogs and they did what was in they're nature to do when someone invades a courtship, they must not have really realized it was a child, they just sensed testosterone.


This is why my mother was mortified when I brought Graham home. But she has now grown to love her to pieces. Yes having a 4 yr old son and 9 1/2 month old son wasnt the best choice for a 2 yr old rottie female but i loved her from the moment i met her. She's been nothing but loving,gentle,and protective of those children. It just saddens me that all you hear about is what that "rabid rottweiler" or "evil rottweiler" did. It's a nevermind if a black lab attacks and mauls someone but if its a rott it makes national news. I feel bad for pitbulls because they're pooed upon too. I believe no matter the breed, he/she is capable of the worst.

examply being we went to a friends and before scooter passed away(friend's dog) he jumped up and took a chunk of skin out of my fiance's calf, he knew us too but was having an off day and attacked him when we came in the house. normally he'd pinch/play bite but he took an actual chunk, so even the tiniest of pets can be lethal...lets not forget that one

[gore]

Another similar case happen in Romania yesterday. The rottweiler was tied out, guarding some commercial deposit. A woman with a 3 year old girl pased by and the chain was longer than she thought. That was private area, she had no business there. The girl was scalped and the woman is in the hospital too.

The media put the accent on how unreliable this breed is, a vet "specialist" declared that certain already agressive breeds go crazy when is too hot, and another i-dont-know-what-kind-of-specialist declared that we are importing the dogs no longer wanted in occident like rottweiler and pit. Other 3 cases of childrens killed by rottweilers in romania in the past 5 years were mentioned. The result is that ppl look even more suspicious at me now...

[love4dutches]

I am divested by hearing this sad story of neglected. I have a strong opinion on these dogs I feel as though they are the best breed at least for me. I understand their needs and it pains me to see another Rotti lose there life because idiots don't know how to take care of them. And to be working for animal advocates and still have no clue about leave a dog any dog on a chain horrifies me. For the child who lost their life just angers me for the pure stupidity and just like our animals I feel as though some people should be spayed and neutered. Those "parents" should have never been blessed with such a gift as a child

[GypsysMom]

Originally Posted by love4dutches

I am divested by hearing this sad story of neglected. I have a strong opinion on these dogs I feel as though they are the best breed at least for me. I understand their needs and it pains me to see another Rotti lose there life because idiots don't know how to take care of them. And to be working for animal advocates and still have no clue about leave a dog any dog on a chain horrifies me. For the child who lost their life just angers me for the pure stupidity and just like our animals I feel as though some people should be spayed and neutered. Those "parents" should have never been blessed with such a gift as a child

I agree that some people should not have kids but this poor child was left with a sitter, maybe she convinced the parents of her experience with kids, I don't blame the parents of the child I blame the sitter for not watching her, she is 2 years old they need to be watched every second at 2yrs old a child has no fear, this child care provider should be held responsible for manslaughter for allowing her to wander and get killed by the dog, the dog owner should also be charged for leaving his dog unattended

[SaranBear]

the dog owner should also be charged for leaving his dog unattended

No he should not. He is in no way legally responsible. He had every right to have his dog tied on his property. Now do I think dogs should be tied? NO, but this guy doesn't deserve to be prosecuted for this either. It's not his fault that a kid wandered into his yard.

[love4dutches]

It's not his fault that the child died but he has a hand in it also, just like the sitter, parents and the owner of the Rotti. They all should be held accountable.

[Francisca Lopez]

OH Yes, this was a very sad story indeed, I live right next to El Paso and this story made an uproar, everybody involved agrees it is unfair to tie the dog up, and neighbors all said the dog was not mean and often saw the owner out with the dog with no problems. And it turned on the babysitter who did not know for some time the baby was missing. Tragedy for all involved a little girl and a beautiful breed had to loose thier lives over lack of responsibilty on many peoples part.
BUT If any thing positive can be said it would be... that being a Rottweiler owner I have been able to change some minds of people who once feared the breed and ran the opposite direction with the site of one. My own mother is deathly afraid of any dog much less a Rotti, and upon hearing the story I am proud to say that buzz around the office is "its how you raise them and keep them" my own mother is standing up for the breed and acutally pets my girl and buys her gifts...big step for her....and anybody who knows my husband and I know we are responsible with such a smart and hard working breed, we are working on getting ready for her first obedience show I think my husband looks ready
It is sad that the media would protray them as vicious animals, they are no more protective than the small dogs, they just have the power and size behind them that people find intimidating...that is why the media is quick to slap that on the news...sad, sad, sad. But do know there are a lot of us who have them as our pets who work hard to be fair to this breed and will continue to do so for positive talk as I was able to get around the office after this sad story.