Brave Little Girl Thalia Standley Tells How Dog Ate Her Arm

[Kirislin]

well I must be gullible because I thought the girls story sounded plausible, especially where she said if she tried to pull away the dog bit more.

[Willem]

well I must be gullible because I thought the girls story sounded plausible, especially where she said if she tried to pull away the dog bit more.

agree, but I also think it doesn't really matter - if you are the owner of 3 powerful dogs, can't supervise them 24/7, and live in an area with other families you have to make sure that they are in a secure compound - that includes sound fencing that prevents any accidental contact between the dogs and people.

[Bjelkier]

Have you seen their fencing? It looks pretty damn good to me. That tiny little hole barely looks big enough for a Malamutes muzzle

[Rascalmyshadow]

The original story said the doctors had to amputate the arm due to damage, it didn't say the dog had severed the arm.

I know how close my husband came to losing his hand as a kid after he accidently severed a tendon in his wrist, he had multiple surgeries to repair the damage.

[_PL_]

I believe her too, and that to the best of her best ability she is trying to explain what happened.

..... Remember she's only 5. Could have been not far from 4. And children that age don't make the best decisions or have the clearest recollection of things (or the capacity to explain it properly).

Watch that part in the video where the dad sits on the retaining wall, it shows how close the gap is and the actual angle it's on compared to the press photos at the time. I don't think a 5yr old would just be perched there without doing something, like turning around or picking grass , playing with the dirt or getting just a bit too close when she heard the dogs.

Thank goodness she didn't try to look through the gap.

"She said that she had to keep quiet and still, because then the dog would sit on her arm and be calm," Mr Standley said.

"It just sat there and chewed.

"If she moved her arm, it grabbed it and ripped and tore and pulled.

"At first she screamed, but she said she had to stop because that was so much worse than when it went back to eating her hand."

Edited November 24, 2015 by Powerlegs

[Kirislin]

well I must be gullible because I thought the girls story sounded plausible, especially where she said if she tried to pull away the dog bit more.

agree, but I also think it doesn't really matter - if you are the owner of 3 powerful dogs, can't supervise them 24/7, and live in an area with other families you have to make sure that they are in a secure compound - that includes sound fencing that prevents any accidental contact between the dogs and people.

I think the fencing looked pretty good. I think it was a terrible set of circumstances where she just happened to sit there waiting for her friends and her finger happened to get close enough, perhaps even under that fence and the dog was quick enough to grab her finger and pull. I can see how it would happen with an aggressive and alert dog. It's tragic.

[Willem]

Have you seen their fencing? It looks pretty damn good to me. That tiny little hole barely looks big enough for a Malamutes muzzle

...in this source from another angle; I don't call this a sound fence to contain powerful dogs, however, I don't know how it looks from the inside. If there is nothing that would hinder the dogs from digging their way through it is definitely not suitable.

[BarbedWire]

Have you seen their fencing? It looks pretty damn good to me. That tiny little hole barely looks big enough for a Malamutes muzzle

...in this source from another angle; I don't call this a sound fence to contain powerful dogs, however, I don't know how it looks from the inside. If there is nothing that would hinder the dogs from digging their way through it is definitely not suitable.

I think that photo explains so much. There is room there for a hand or a muzzle and the retaining wall is just in front of it. She would have been sitting on that wall and perhaps put her hand back without even looking and the dog has grabbed it. Poor girl, poor owner, poor everybody including the dogs.

[Bjelkier]

That is a massive colour bond fence, how much more do people have to do to keep their dogs away from people? That tiny hole is way too small for a Malamute to get through or easily stick it's head out. I would assume that would be more than enough to protect my dogs.

[Willem]

That is a massive colour bond fence, how much more do people have to do to keep their dogs away from people? That tiny hole is way too small for a Malamute to get through or easily stick it's head out. I would assume that would be more than enough to protect my dogs.

...that's exactly the problem, too many people just assume that it is safe...

[BarbedWire]

That is a massive colour bond fence, how much more do people have to do to keep their dogs away from people? That tiny hole is way too small for a Malamute to get through or easily stick it's head out. I would assume that would be more than enough to protect my dogs.

It's half the width of one of those treated pine boards they put under those fences and that's big enough for a muzzle or a hand. The fence was obviously not good enough to keep the dogs away from people because someone did get bitten. When it was originally put up it would have been okay but dog owners need to keep checking their fences and do regular maintenance. Don't just assume that they are okay.

[Dame Aussie]

That hole is simply not big enough for a Mal to get enough of its muzzle out and then open its mouth wide enough to take hold of and chew a girls arm. The only possible way for this to happen would appear to be if the child stuck her hand through. I'm not saying she did, just that the gap is tiny.

I also question how a child would not pass out if a limb was literally being chewed off. The original article said it was amputated too.

It's horrible yes, but personally I won't make any judgements here as the two articles contradict each other too much for us to have a clear understanding of what actually happened.

Edited November 24, 2015 by Dame Aussie

[BarbedWire]

That hole is simply not big enough for a Mal to get enough of its muzzle out to take hold of and chew a girls arm. The only possible way for this to happen would appear to be if the child stuck her hand through. I'm not saying she did, just that the gap is tiny.

I also question how a child would not pass out if a limb was literally being chewed off. The original article said it was amputated too.

It's horrible yes, but personally I won't make any judgements here as the two articles contradict each other too much for us to have a clear understanding of what actually happened.

As someone has said earlier the limb was not chewed off (that is media exaggeration) it was amputated at the hospital because of the irreparable damage to ligaments and tendons.

[Willem]

That is a massive colour bond fence, how much more do people have to do to keep their dogs away from people? That tiny hole is way too small for a Malamute to get through or easily stick it's head out. I would assume that would be more than enough to protect my dogs.

It's half the width of one of those treated pine boards they put under those fences and that's big enough for a muzzle or a hand. The fence was obviously not good enough to keep the dogs away from people because someone did get bitten. When it was originally put up it would have been okay but dog owners need to keep checking their fences and do regular maintenance. Don't just assume that they are okay.

exactly, that's their duty of care!...I do a lot of work on mine sites and when it comes to safety / JSAs I (and others) can't just assume that it is safe - I have to know it, or if I can't evaluate it I have to get someone who is qualified to do so. If the safety can't be verified any work has to stop till all the hazards are resolved - there is just no room for assumptions!

[Dame Aussie]

That hole is simply not big enough for a Mal to get enough of its muzzle out to take hold of and chew a girls arm. The only possible way for this to happen would appear to be if the child stuck her hand through. I'm not saying she did, just that the gap is tiny.

I also question how a child would not pass out if a limb was literally being chewed off. The original article said it was amputated too.

It's horrible yes, but personally I won't make any judgements here as the two articles contradict each other too much for us to have a clear understanding of what actually happened.

As someone has said earlier the limb was not chewed off (that is media exaggeration) it was amputated at the hospital because of the irreparable damage to ligaments and tendons.

That's it though, we cant trust anything the media say.

[Willem]

...I also question how a child would not pass out if a limb was literally being chewed off. The original article said it was amputated too.

...it is enough to get infected with a flesh eating bacteria (Necrotizing Fasciitis) that is immun to antibiotics - this is actually not so rare in the meanwhile.

[Kirislin]

I wouldn't assume the child would pass out from the pain. Plenty of people have horrific injuries and stay conscious. Look at what happens in war. I think passing out from pain happens in the movies.

[Willem]

I wouldn't assume the child would pass out from the pain. Plenty of people have horrific injuries and stay conscious. Look at what happens in war. I think passing out from pain happens in the movies.

nope, doesn't happen only in movies; everyone has a certain 'pain threshold', once the pain signals to the brain exceed this threshold the brain shuts down and you pass out (I know this also from own experience). The girl might have passed out for a moment without remembering it..., but again, I don't think it matters.

[Rebanne]

Have you seen their fencing? It looks pretty damn good to me. That tiny little hole barely looks big enough for a Malamutes muzzle

...in this source from another angle; I don't call this a sound fence to contain powerful dogs, however, I don't know how it looks from the inside. If there is nothing that would hinder the dogs from digging their way through it is definitely not suitable.

so your dog is contained in an escape proof yard?

[_PL_]

That is a massive colour bond fence, how much more do people have to do to keep their dogs away from people? That tiny hole is way too small for a Malamute to get through or easily stick it's head out. I would assume that would be more than enough to protect my dogs.

It would be completely understandable to assume your dogs safe when secured from escaping or sticking their heads out of their own property; which is your obligation as a pet owner in suburbia. You need to secure your dogs and that's what the owners have done.

It was a horrible accident but that's all.

Edited November 24, 2015 by Powerlegs