Terrier Kills Baby

[Jed]

Renewed calls for DDA overhaul after family terrier kills week-old baby

Created: 29/11/2012

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THE TRAGIC death of a week-old boy who was bitten by a terrier has prompted animal welfare groups to once again call or dangerous dog legislation to be overhauled.

The Kennel Club said the case showed that any dog had the potential to cause injury, Dogs Trust said it underscored that banning breeds was not effective, and Battersea Dogs and Cats Home said the Dangerous Dogs Act (DDA) should be revised to include private property.

However, both emphasised that children should never be left alone with dogs – even for a short time and even if the dog has shown no signs of aggression.

The baby, Harry Harper, died after being bitten by one of two dogs at the house in Ketley, Shropshire, where mother Mikayla Bell lived with her parents and younger siblings.

Harry was taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford but died soon after, police said. A post-mortem examination showed he died from a ‘significant’ head injury. Police said the incident appeared to be ‘a tragic accident’. The dog was put to sleep. An inquest into Harry’s death was opened and adjourned this week.

This week the KC said it shared the view of many other welfare organisations and animal behaviourists that any dog had the potential to be aggressive or a loving family pet.

"This depends entirely on how the dog is reared and trained rather than its breed or type,” said spokesman Caroline Kisko.

"This case only further proves that an urgent overhaul of existing dangerous dog legislation is needed to tackle the issue effectively and prevent further tragedies. Our thoughts are with the family.

Supervision

"We strongly advise that children and dogs are supervised at all times, and that dogs and children are gradually introduced in order to reduce the chances of problems. When a dog is placed in a position which makes it nervous or frightened it can react in a way which we don’t expect, which is why never leaving a dog and particularly small children or babies alone together is so important. Such a scenario has the potential to be dangerous for the child, and is unfair on the dog who is generally acting on instinct rather than from malice.

"Early socialising is vitally important, and the KC and Dogs Trust’s Puppy Plan explains the importance of this early time in a dog’s life in more detail.”

The plan can be found at: www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/4161/23/5/3 More information on the KC’s Safe and Sound Scheme – which teaches children how to interact safely with dogs – can be found at www.thekennelclub.org.uk/safeandsound.

Dogs Trust said it was shocked and saddened to hear of the baby’s death.

"We offer our most heartfelt sympathies to the family at this traumatic time,” a spokesman said. "While these cases are rare and we do not know the details surrounding this particular incident, we must stress that the manner in which a dog is reared and trained is the factor that most influences the likelihood of aggression, rather than its breed.

"Jack Russell Terrier types are no more likely to show aggression than any other breed of dog. It is important for people not to demonise particular breeds and Dogs Trust backs the momentum behind the ‘deed not breed’ campaign.

"In the past following dog attacks, we have seen an increase in the number of dogs of that, or similar, breeds being abandoned; dogs who have been with families for years as well as newly-rehomed dogs have been left to fend for themselves or find new homes. So Dogs Trust urges the public not to panic and not to punish breeds.”

When introducing a dog to a new baby or young children it is important to have an adult presence, Dogs Trust said.

"Children should never be left alone with the dog, no matter how well known it is to the family,” the spokesman said. "Whether the dog or the baby is the new addition to the family, both need to be given time to adjust to the new situation.

Dogs and children

"Dogs Trust advises making the transition as calm as possible and heaping lots of praise on all involved when they do something right. Lay down the ground rules from the start: don’t allow the children to tease the dog and ensure the dog knows which are his toys and which are the babies’/children’s.

"Our consistent advice to all dog owners, no matter what the breed and temperament of their pet, is never to leave a dog alone with children.”

Battersea Dogs and Cats Home said it too was deeply saddened to hear about the incident.

"Our thoughts are with the family at this very difficult time,” a spokesman said. "Although dogs are normally much-loved and well-behaved companions, and Battersea successfully places thousands of dogs in family homes every year, this is a sad reminder that any dog, regardless of its breed or size, has the potential to be dangerous.

"Currently, the DDA does not cover private property, where this attack took place. We are campaigning to see a change in dog legislation which will prevent dog attacks from occurring in the first place and give greater powers to local authorities to address serious dog control issues in their communities.

"Battersea believes that many dog attacks could be avoided through a greater understanding of a dog’s behaviour and body language, and the charity works tirelessly to help educate the public on how to be safe around dogs and be responsible owners. We would always advise owners to carefully introduce children and dogs, and it is important to never leave a child and a dog unattended. It is important that children are taught about safety around dogs from an early age, and Battersea has created an educational resource

[littlesev]

That's so sad, losing both the baby and the dog at the same time

[Diva]

There is a theory that new born babies may not always be recognised by dogs as 'people', and can tigger prey drive with their noises and movements. Dogs involved in these deaths do often seem to have no other history of aggression towards people, they are quite a specific type of attack.

Very, very sad.

Edited January 17, 2013 by Diva

[fuzzy82]

So sad.

I think babies smell funny to dogs, and they're not considered "people". They also look funny and make funny noises. One time we had a friend with a baby visiting, the dogs were VERY sniffy, like they couldn't understand what it was. (They were closely supervised of course).

[mita]

Yes. Babies & little ones up to age 5 years are the most vulnerable for dog bites... for reasons others have given. The Child Accident Foundation of Australia says the key to prevention is Supervise or Separate. If an adult isn't directly supervising, then set up a dog-free zone for the child & a child-free zone for the dog.

So terribly sad to lose a week-old baby in this way.

[poochmad]

What a tragedy.

The family must be devastated - it's a horrible lesson to learn. I guess no one expects that their furry member could harm their baby.

Just terrible.

[melzawelza]

Horrible horrible horrible. I hope it does prompt a an overhaul of the DDA, as in 20 years of focusing on breed only their attacks have gone UP. It's criminal really that Governments persist with legislation that is proven to be ineffective and ignoring the type of approach that is proven to reduce dog attacks.

[mantis]

I'm going to be telling my daughter about this tragic story.

She is pregnant with her first child & has two out of control JRT's who are allowed to play bite people. When I told them they had to stop them from biting people, her OH said they are their dogs & they'll raise them the way they want, he said dogs were meant to be dogs, not controlled robots. I am so scared it's a tragedy waiting to happen.

[Alyosha]

People don't need more laws, they need a little more common sense.

[mita]

I'm going to be telling my daughter about this tragic story.

She is pregnant with her first child & has two out of control JRT's who are allowed to play bite people. When I told them they had to stop them from biting people, her OH said they are their dogs & they'll raise them the way they want, he said dogs were meant to be dogs, not controlled robots. I am so scared it's a tragedy waiting to happen.

Mantis, AWL Q'ld has a booklet called Pregnant Paws Program, for parents who are expecting a baby. The guidelines tell them how to keep both baby & pets safe when the bub comes home. There's a variety of ways you can get this booklet... including downloading.

http://www.awlqld.com.au/education/animal-community-education-qld/pregnant-paws-program/

Just generally, a copy of this guide would be a great present to give to anyone who's pregnant & who has pets.

[mantis]

I'm going to be telling my daughter about this tragic story.

She is pregnant with her first child & has two out of control JRT's who are allowed to play bite people. When I told them they had to stop them from biting people, her OH said they are their dogs & they'll raise them the way they want, he said dogs were meant to be dogs, not controlled robots. I am so scared it's a tragedy waiting to happen.

Mantis, AWL Q'ld has a booklet called Pregnant Paws Program, for parents who are expecting a baby. The guidelines tell them how to keep both baby & pets safe when the bub comes home. There's a variety of ways you can get this booklet... including downloading.

http://www.awlqld.com.au/education/animal-community-education-qld/pregnant-paws-program/

Just generally, a copy of this guide would be a great present to give to anyone who's pregnant & who has pets.

Thank you, I have just emailed that link to my daughter.

[RiverStar-Aura]

People don't need more laws, they need a little more common sense.

I totally agree Alyosha. What will it take for parents to realise that dogs and children don't mix. Obviously death doesn't get the matter across

[melzawelza]

Correct legislation paired with owner education has been proven to reduce dog attacks by huge amounts overseas. You can say 'people need common sense' all you want but the fact of the matter is people DON'T have common sense when it comes to dogs and needs plenty of education and adequate legislation. It's not necessarily legislation that's much tighter than what we have currently, just different.

[Jed]

Correct legislation would help. Unfortunately, councils are only interested in appearing to have policies in place to redude dog attacks.

Much cheaper to ban than to take effective action about dog attacks.