Davie Florida Attack

[jlaack]

I guess it may depend on the individual dog. I do not think my dog would attack a non-threatening person. HOWEVER my dog is NEVER left outside unattended. You learn something new everyday .

How would the dog know that this person was non-threatening? The kid climbed over the 6 ft fence and likely did so quickly. I am guessing that action alone caught the dogs attention in a big way because I doubt it is normal to them to have people climbing over the fence to enter the yard. When I was living with my dog and another Rott my roomates we all were locked out of the house and had to break in through a window. While we were talking to the dogs the entire time they were both on edge to say the least simply because of the noise and the fact we were coming in through a window. Granted they didn't bit or attack us but they were barking and obviously concerned about what the heck was going on. Dogs are smart but I don't think they understood that we were locked out and had to come in via the window.

[TrinaJ]

This incident would never have happened had the boy not trespassed into another person's property. As a mum, my heart is breaking for the child, and his family, he's going to be scarred for life, probably mentally and physically. But as a responsible PARENT I would have, i hope, instilled that manners in him that made sure he knocked politly at the door and asked for his ball to be returned to him.

Unfortunately not everyone is as educated as some of the members on this board and they let their dogs run free in their yards, in this case, a 6ft fenced yard which the owners probably felt was keeping their dogs in a safe environment. Hopefully other people who hear about this will learn from it and start supervising their dogs whilst they are outdoors.

Yes rotty's are of a kind temprement but they are protective of what is theirs too and they thought their yard was theirs...Perhaps they hadn't been socialised with children and felt threatened, unless we were there we wont ever know exactly what happened, its just another sad day for the rotty.

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by Nishasmom

Obelix: I am sure you are far more experienced in Rottweilers than I am; however, my opinion of the topic remains the same. I do not think a 10 yr old child hopping over the fence warrants a vicious attack. Shouldn't a dog take time to evaluate the situation; determine if they are in need of defending? What if the child had knocked on the door and walked into the backyard? Are you saying if someone enters your property w/o you, your dog is warranted to attack?? I just think that this goes against what I know of the breed. The dog should be protective, but not needlessly aggressive. Who knows, perhaps I have more to learn about our beloved breed.

However, some boys are known to torment dogs; if this were the case, my opinion would change.

Yes, the boys were wrong. But I do think the dogs were also out of line.

Obelix explained things much better than I did. Just as you say boys will be boys, dogs will be dogs. We can NEVER trust a dog to make a "sound decision" in the sense that we make "sound decisions". While training will teach a dog to be under control when it's master is present, we can never expect a dog to make a decision based upon our morality. If it were a cat that jumped over the fence, would you feel the same way? One cannot hold the dogs responsible for being dogs!

There was an object involved (the ball), territoriality, and 2 dogs. Dog will be dogs, just as boys will be boys.

I would expect a 10year old boy to possess much better judgement than a dog, and to have learned respect for other's property by this age. The adults involved, or rather sadly, not involved!!! (dog owner and child owner) to be ultimately responsible for this attack. It's the adults in these situations that infuriate me the most - they have set up dogs and child for failure, and likely all will pay the price.

Precisely why it's not a good idea to leave ANY dog unattended even if confined within a fenced yard.

Are there any reports of the boy's status?

[kclinch]

Davie boy, 10, mauled by two Rottweilers remains in intensive care

By Jennifer Gollan | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
March 30, 2008


DAVIE - "I don't want to die," a bloodied Christian Franco cried as a neighbor whisked him to safety.

Just 10, the boy was no match for two Rottweilers that violently attacked when he entered a neighbor's backyard to retrieve an errant ball Friday.

"He was covered in blood," said George Evans, 54, a neighbor who heard the boy's shrieks from across the street in the Shenandoah community and ran to his aid. "You couldn't even see his face. He was bitten all over."

Christian underwent about seven hours of surgery Saturday. He had a grapefruit-size gouge on the lower back quarter of his scalp, gashes on his forehead and right thigh, a puncture wound on his right cheek, numerous bites on his hip and back and a left eye swollen shut.

Doctors at Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale told family after surgery that the boy would remain in intensive care for several days while he is watched closely for internal bleeding and infections.

His eye probably will heal, but he will undergo a skin graft to restore his scalp, said Benjamin Mendez, the boy's grandfather.

The dogs — 2-year-old males named Buddy and Bear — were quarantined briefly Friday evening before police determined the attack was an accident, said Davie police spokesman Lt. Bill Coyne. Mayor Tom Truex said Davie does not have a dangerous dog law.

State Rep. Perry Thurston, D-Plantation, is leading an effort in the Legislature to allow municipalities to tighten controls on dangerous dog breeds.

"It furthers the discussion on the protection of citizens and the need to monitor and have some regulation on vicious animals," Thurston said.

Broward Animal Care and Regulation officials cited the owner, Victor Cantelmo, for not having his pets licensed or vaccinated, Coyne said.

According to a Broward County Animal Care database, Cantelmo has four dogs whose registrations expired in 2005. County ordinances require that all dogs and cats older than 2 months be registered annually; owners can be fined for not complying.

Christian, who attends Flamingo Elementary School, was playing with his brother in front of his house when the ball flew over the 6-foot white fence leading to Cantelmo's yard.

Evans, who manages an aircraft interiors company, said he was relaxing with a Scotch about 7 p.m. when he heard the dogs growling as the boy screamed.

Evans bolted across the street to pluck the boy from the yard in the 1200 block of Whitestone Way, but he said a security cord let him open the gate only about a foot.

As Cantelmo wrestled them "by the mouth, the collar, the tail," Evans said he eventually was able to reach through the gate and yank Christian by his foot through the narrow opening.

"They were biting him all over; they didn't want to let him go," Evans said.

Evans said the dogs also bit Cantelmo.

Evans carried the boy to a nearby lawn, where paramedics soon arrived to take him to Broward General.

A man who answered the door at Cantelmo's home Saturday said "no comment," as a dog inside barked. A knee-high statue of a black Rottweiler stood by the door. There were no other signs of any dogs, except for a black "beware of the dog" placard on a gate next to the garage. D'Angelo Franco, 11, was playing with Christian when the ball sailed over the fence. About 20 relatives gathered at Christian's bedside at the hospital Saturday afternoon.

Mendez, who works at a roofing company, said Friday was an otherwise typical day. He dropped by after work to share chicken with his grandsons and their uncle, Hans, before the boys' mother, Monica Franco, could arrive home from her job at a shipping company. The boys went out to play at dusk.

"I was terrified," Mendez said. "I've never seen so much blood."

Rottweilers are known as calm, strong, agile, guard dogs, according to the American Kennel Club.

Evans and his wife, Lori, said Cantelmo moved to the neighborhood with his wife and two teenage daughters about four years ago.

The Evans' described the Rottweilers as loving puppies when the family brought them home two years ago. They hadn't heard them bark since, however.

Cantelmo is a retired New York City firefighter and he once dashed over to extinguish a neighbor's turkey fryer that had ignited, George Evans said.

"He was pretty shook up [about the attack]," Evans said of Cantelmo.

Staff Writers Brian Haas and Sofia Santana and Staff Researcher Barbara Hijek contributed to this report.

Jennifer Gollan can be reached at jgollan@sun-sentinel.com or 954-385-7920.

[marianne]

Ok all the details. I am so glad YOU have NEVER been involved in a dog bite!!!! Posting somone elses terrible problems.
Sorry this happens too much.

But the heartbreak of these accidents don't need to be gone over and over by persons NOT involved.

From my personnal experince.........I loved MY dog! I loved my grandson
Guess who is still alive

[maxcat]

I feel so sorry for the pain that poor boy must be in. We have a friend (fellow Rotti owner) who was attacked once by a Rotti and a pit bull and I know how badly it messed him up even as a very large, strong man.

I do, however, think that no one should be climbing into another person's yard. I don't care if the yard belongs to your best friend. I say this because we live behind a park and sometimes stray balls, etc get into our yard. Once or twice we have seen signs of someone hopping the fence to retrieve a ball and there are so many reasons (other than dogs) not to do it. What if there is a nervous owner who happens to have a gun or what if they get hurt just hopping over and break a limb.

I know that a 10 year old child does not have the maturity to understand these reasons, but the same goes for a dog. We have one of the most people-loving dogs I have ever met but I cannot say that he wouldn't get defensive if someone jumped into our yard and I wasn't around to control the situation. That being said, I understand not leaving your dogs unattended in your yard (we don't either) but it should be the owner's choice. If you are on your own property, you should be able to leave your dogs unattended.

Whatever your beliefs I think all of use feel sorry for the future of the child and the dogs. It seems like a horrible accident that none of them should have been involved in.

[princessmom]

Marianne, I don't think the posting was for others to go over and over the details. I agree that far too often the media prints stories and includes horrible details just for hype, but in this case, posting the details in this forum, we learn from other peoples horrible mistakes. It makes me think. And in thinking I am growing as a responsible dog owner. I don't care how long we have owned dogs we can all learn and grow from other people's experiences, be they good or bad ones.
I would never think my girl would attack a child, ever. I would not put her in a position to do so either though. I wouldn't stake a child's life on the line for my belief that my dog will do the right thing.

[marianne]

Sorry, but having being in the position of putting a dog down ,I have the feelings....unless they have been in that situation Leave it alone PERIOD
The heartbreak of having to deal with the childs outcome and losing a loved pet is something unless it has happened to you leave it alone,