Toddler Dies After Being Mauled to Death by 2 Dogs. Inquest Verdict.

[Deeds]

https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/toddler-dies-after-being-mauled-to-death-in-horrific-dog-attack-inquest/news-story/381d6bc78cfb3692adb3b8ab04260022

[Rebanne]

Very sad but no mention why the little boy was on his own.

[tdierikx]

Am I reading correctly that the dog owner had not only a secure enclosure he kept the dogs in, but a fenced and gated yard that he exercised them in also? And that the child in question had managed to enter that yard while he played unsupervised?

 

The dogs in this story were not free-roaming... but the child was. Where is the accountability for an unsupervised child? What happened here is tragic, but in all honesty, the dog owner seems to have done the right thing by containing his dogs in areas they couldn't free roam among the public.

 

The last tenants next door to me had young children who would regularly kick their footballs over the fence into my yard. When I caught one of them attempting to climb over the 6 foot colourbond fence into my yard, I luckily stopped him before he succeeded and returned his ball to him. I then went around to the front door of their house and spoke with the parents. I told them I'd happily return any stray balls if the kids came to my front door and asked for them back, but please don't allow them to climb into my yard, as I had a large dog that might be unpredictable when faced with a stranger in her yard. As a dog owner, I am legally required to keep my dog contained effectively on my own property, and I do that. I should not be accountable for the actions of others who decide to enter my property uninvited. My dog stays in her yard, and your kids should stay in theirs.

 

Personally, I'm sick of the total lack of accountability for those who let their children roam at will. Children are not always capable of assessing danger to themselves, and should be supervised (not unlike dogs) when out and about.

 

Yes... larger breeds of dog are capable of inflicting horrific injury to a human body, and the smaller that body, the greater risk of that damage being fatal. Let's not forget though that ALL dogs are capable of inflicting serious damage by biting, and again, the smaller the target human, the more extensive that damage could be. A friend of mine who works in a pound had her top lip ripped off by a small maltese... she was an adult and well versed in handling fractious, frightened, and stressed impounded dogs, yet still suffered this injury... a child would have suffered much worse injuries in that scenario though.

 

Legislation over the years has seen the opportunities for dogs to become properly socialised diminish significantly. There are already so many restrictions on where and when a dog can be out in public, and adding even more restrictions on dog ownership isn't going to make the problem any better. I'd like to see any future legislation include accountability for human action that may contribute to an attack happening. This is especially significant if the dog owner has to all intents and purposes contained their dog so that it cannot escape into a public area. If a dog is contained on private property, then uninvited or unauthorised access to that private property should be a mitigating factor in the event of an attack occurring on that private property.

 

T.

[persephone]

Poor little bub - I also query why he was wandering unsupervised ....and the fact that a two-year-old could open that gate

[Mairead]

Parents regularly kill their children by neglect or intention. Pools, hot cars, driveways, poison left accessible etc.

But so few people seem able to take responsibility or learn from their mistakes. 

Whenever someone is inclined to blame a non-human animal I have been known to ask "Aren't we supposed to be of superior intelligence?"

Grumpy/crazy old woman will get off her soapbox now. 

[moosmum]

Poor little boy. Child proof enclosure would have prevented this, but I think the parents in this instance should be held more to account than the dogs owners, who at least ensured their dogs were secured in a private area and moved to a safer one away from where the child was originally.

 

Training for owners of large/more risky breeds if undertaken should include  public awarness. We have licensing for motor vehicles, but safety education around them extends to the general public.

[tdierikx]

The ABC coverage of this story says that the mother of the little boy had been supervising him playing in the car park, and had just gone inside for a "few minutes" to get a drink, and that's when he wandered off and got into the yard with the dogs. CCTV footage shows him trying the pool gate, but when he couldn't open that, he went to where the dogs were and managed to get in.

 

Ummm... wouldn't most people think that an unsupervised toddler in a car park of a motel was probably not a great parenting choice either? And a "few minutes" is enough for an active toddler to manage to get into a life threatening situation.

 

What is telling is that the owner of the dogs was not charged with any offence, but he did surrender the dogs for euthanasia immediately after the incident.

 

I think the Coroner is exceeding his purview in his recommendations about pet ownership as a result of this particular case... where are the recommendations about "child ownership"? If the child's parent had made a different decision about leaving her child unattended in a public place, this incident would never have occurred. Remember, the dogs were contained on private property when this happened, they did not escape and do this of their own accord.

 

T.

[persephone]

1 hour ago, tdierikx said:

Ummm... wouldn't most people think that an unsupervised toddler in a car park of a motel was probably not a great parenting choice either? And a "few minutes" is enough for an active toddler to manage to get into a life threatening situation.

 

leaving a toddler alone - very irresponsible .They are quick, and inquisitive , and totally unaware of so many dangers....
The Mum will have to live with this - it was her decision to leave her little one alone which led to his horrific death 
I am glad the dogs' owner was not charged - he had them contained ...

[Tempus Fugit]

I seem to recall that the child's mother was a homeless single mum that the government had put up at the motel. No backyard for the child to play in.