Because it's all so depressingly familiar.
'The dog will be subject to further forensic examinations to determine the breed of dog and whether it is, or isn't a legal breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act (1991),' Merseyside Police added in a statement.
We clearly aren't talking about a Westie, Labrador, Cavalier King Charles or a Jack Russell here, are we?
Detective Inspector Lisa Milligan said: 'This is a tragic incident and our thoughts are with the child's family at this devastating time.
'Whilst we are in the very early stages of the investigation into this extremely tragic incident we can confirm that the dog was only bought by the family a week ago and officers are working to identify the previous owners of the dog concerned and establish its history.'
Most parents with a young toddler would think twice about doubling their workload by getting a puppy as well. Most would - if they decided to do so - go to a reputable breeder.
Who in their right mind gets a dog like this second-hand?
I feel some pain and there can no greater punishment for this young couple than lives haunted by such a 'pet' decision.
ReplyDeleteQuote 'We clearly aren't talking about a Westie, Labrador, Cavalier King Charles or a Jack Russell here, are we? '
ReplyDeleteI would add nor one of the larger breads like a Newfoundland if those I have owned are anything to go by. I've had young kids riding on mine and also sleeping curled up on him. One even held a yappy dog down because it made a toddler cry and hide behind him. In fact they were used in the homes of the wealthy in Victorian times as extra nursemaids.
Julia. I'm gobsmacked about this case. As you say kids are exceptionally hard work and the nature of the hard work changes as the child ages. For example the hard work in dealing with a newborn is different to the hard work of managing an 18mth to 24mth old child which is mobile and basically a walking, crawling and climbing potential danger zone. This age is what I call the 'eating dirt and throwing shoes in the river because they know no better' stage and is not a age that would ever introduce a potentially vicious animal to.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the police are looking at whether or not this dog was of a banned breed or has similar breed characteristics suggests to me that this is not a second hand Labrador or Collie from a good home, but a vicious status dog. This is not the sort of dog I would introduce into a home with small children, it's probably the sort of dog that would give canine professionals a whole load of challenges.
This family and in particular the tragic young victim of this dog attack are paying an exceptionally high price for the stupid decision to accept a dog that maybe should never have been around children or those unfamiliar with dealing with challenging dogs. As you say Julia this story has so many echoes of other similar stories where people get bad dogs from bad people, maybe in order to look 'tough' themselves and who end up losing a great deal, maybe everything because of their shortsighted and criminally stupid decisions to take such dogs into their homes.
"...there can no greater punishment for this young couple than lives haunted by such a 'pet' decision."
ReplyDeleteThey'll just have another. Child, that is...
"I would add nor one of the larger breads like a Newfoundland if those I have owned are anything to go by."
Size alone isn't what denotes a status dog to these room temperature IQ idiots...
"The fact that the police are looking at whether or not this dog was of a banned breed or has similar breed characteristics suggests to me that this is not a second hand Labrador or Collie from a good home, but a vicious status dog. "
Yes. And they seem satisfied that it wasn't on the DDA list. Because if not, that's one less crime that they have to consider. Such an attutude is unfathomable to me...