# Newborn attacked by family dog



## Jazzstorm (Nov 29, 2005)

2-Week-Old Baby Girl Killed by Family Dog
Thursday, March 05, 2009 


Print ShareThisMESA, Arizona — A 2-week-old Arizona girl has died after being attacked by the family's dog in their home.

Mesa police detective Steve Berry says police were called Wednesday night by a woman who said her daughter had been bitten by a family dog, according to KTVK-TV.

Berry says officers found the infant in the living room with bite wounds on her head. The baby was pronounced dead at the scene.

Berry says the mother had placed her daughter in a low-lying bassinet or crib and discovered the attack when she returned a few moments later.

The parents' names weren't released. However, Berry says the father is a Mesa police officer who was at work at the time. The mother is an officer for the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community.

The dog, a chow, was quarantined.







]<span style="color: #3333FF">When will some parents realize that you NEVER leave your children alone with ANY dog?







</span>


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

That is horrible

I second that


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I feel sorry for Chow owners. Admitting too that I am glad it was not a GSD.


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## emjworks05 (May 30, 2008)

Very sad.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

what are you proving by leaving your dog in a room with an infant.
why do it? the child is sure to lose if something goes wrong. everybody wants to trust their dog to the upmost. it's simple. don't trust them so much. my dog is well trained and highly socialized. i have a neighbor that calls me when his 3 year old grand child is visiting. he wants his grand daughter to play with my dog.
when i'm at his house with my dog we never leave them in a room together. it's a rule we have. never leave them alone. not for a second.

i say don't put the dog in a position where something can go wrong.
don't leave them in a car, don't leave them in front of a store and go in, don't leave them in the yard unattended, don't let them ride in the back of the pick-up, don't leave them alone with a child, don't leave the toilet seat lid up, don't leave the trash can where they can get it, don't leave bags on the floor, don't take chances with your dog.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

or your kid.


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## acurajane (May 21, 2008)

that is so sad.


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## Laura H. (Feb 23, 2009)

We sometimes forget that although they're a part of our families, they are still animals.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

excellent point!!!!!



> Originally Posted By: selzeror your kid.


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## DSudd (Sep 22, 2006)

So very sad. I would have to say dont leave them alone or even turn your back on a dog and a small child. When my ss was 2 DH had a chow. I never met the dog but he said she was a sweet dog. He was outside with the dog and his son, turned his back for a second, SS cried out, he turned around and the chow was attacking his son. He ended up getting a bunch of stitches and thank goodness he isnt scared of dogs or permenantly scared from this. We do not leave Rocky with any small child unattended There is always at least one adult controlling the situation.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i think my dog is well trained and socialized. he visits the neighbors grand child (3 yrs.old), he visits my GF's 88 yr. old mother twice a week, strangers can approach him. with all my good feelings about him i never leave him in a room with a child. i never leave him in the room with my GF's mother. if i get up to go to the kitchen for a drink i might leave him in the room with my GF's mother. if i'm going to kitchen to make a sandwhich i don't leave him in the room with her. when my dog is around my GF's mother he is very calm. he follows her everywhere and lays down close to her. she pets him or rubs him with her feet. that's all good as long as i can see him.

as my mother would say "i trust you as long as i can see you".


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## Little Red (Jan 10, 2009)

This story is so sad. How those parents/dog owners must feel!




> Originally Posted By: doggiedad
> 
> as my mother would say "i trust you as long as i can see you".


yep, that's good advice


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## CWhite (Dec 8, 2004)

I wonder if the dog was trying to move the baby?


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## aja sedona (Sep 27, 2003)

The dog, a chow/golden retriever mix, has since been euthanized.

I live about 20 minutes and work less than 5 minutes from where this sad incident happened... I wish people would learn not to leave their babies unattended within reach of any family pet. Though not as potentially dangerous I remember a cat we had when I was really young doing a number on my face and arms because it did not want to be held any longer.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/pinal/articles/2009/03/05/20090305mr-dogattack05-ON.html


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## Maraccz (Sep 3, 2005)

I love my dogs and I am sure that they would not hurt my daughter on purpose, but I would NEVER risk any of their lives (kid's or dog's) on it. They are only together when I am there to watch.


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## lcht2 (Jan 8, 2008)

that sucks


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## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

So very sad!


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## L_Dan (Mar 8, 2006)

I can't imagine how guilty that mom feels...the questions she's probably asking herself.

Man a two-week old baby is absolutely helpless. The dog might have only began to sniff, then lick... but the mom was definitely wrong to leave with the dog not in a crate or outside the house.

This is just horrible. And the saddest part, to me, is that it was not an accident. It was an unthinking act on her part.

I'm not angry, just heartbroken...I don't think I have any room for anything else. Now they will never have that child back, and they will never forget.


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## angelaw (Dec 14, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: aja sedonaThe dog, a chow/golden retriever mix, has since been euthanized.


to be honest, i'm not surprised. personally i don't know if i could ever look that dog in the face knowing it had killed my child, accident or not. Granted there is blame to go around for everyone, but the after effects.....


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## Laura H. (Feb 23, 2009)

When we had our first GSD Axel, we lived more out in the country, the farmer who owned the land around us, his little granddaughter just loved Axel, who was a big boy; 115-120 lbs.; she was also used to the farm dogs, who she used to hug all the time.

She was maybe 6 or 7, my husband & I were walking Axel & we stopped to talk to her mom. The little girl (I think her name was Adrian) was riding her bike, so she had a helmet on. She came over to give Axel a hug like she always did. Axel was between me & my husband & it happened so fast, no time to react.

He must have been scared because he didn't recognize her with the bike helmet on. he tried to get away between us, but was stopped because he had his leash on. He turned around so fast & just snapped right in that little girl's face. She immediately put her hands to her face & started to scream. I swear my heart nearly stopped beating. But my first thought was at least there's no blood.

He was a good dog, he wasn't trying go hurt her, just to warn her off, because he felt trapped & threatened. Amazingly the little girl's mother kind of shrugged it off, like now she learned a lesson not to approach other dogs like that (after she knew she wasn't hurt).

I just felt horrible about it all though, especially when I'd walk Axel on the road (no sidewalks) & I'd see her run in the house when she saw us coming.

I even dropped off a "I'm sorry" card from Axel with two beanie baby dogs, she liked them, but still would never come near him again. I looked at that as a lesson learned for myself & now always watch my dogs closer than ever around small children.

My girlfriend, who's always had dogs & I always remind ourselves, they are still dogs, no matter how pampered & domesticated they are.


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## Timber1 (May 19, 2007)

Your reply is right on. I remember when I got my first GSD I saw a video about this little girl playing with a large Shepherd. I loved it and sent to my breeder. Her response, with three young kids and about 20 dogs, was this is the most irresponsible video I have ever seen. 

I cannot imagine losing a baby, but as I continue to work with dogs, I find more and more owners are so uneducated.


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## pamela berger (Jun 19, 2008)

No matter how long you have had a dog, no matter how many times that dog has shown love and nurturing to your child, it is STILL A DOG and is capable of hurting/killing a child, whether intentional or not. Saw a photo the other day (naturally I can't remember where) of a 200+ lb mastiff laying on the floor with an infant (probably 2-3 months) laying beside him. All that dog has to do is roll over!


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## Laura H. (Feb 23, 2009)

People who leave their infants/toddlers unsupervised with the family dog make me crazy.

Also when you see especially a toddler tormenting the dog, taking big handfuls of its fur, pulling on its ears & the parents just stands there & says see how good the dog is with the baby. Yeah, until the dog has enough.

When I was little, maybe 4 or 5 my grandparents had an old dog named Butch. I was sitting behind my Grandpa's chair playing with him. Now Butch had been around my two sisters & myself since we were born, so you'd think he'd be tolerant of just about anything.

He had the long hound ears & I made the mistake of picking one up, he must have had a sore ear, because he nipped me right in the face, thank God it was just a few little scratches, it could have been so much worse, but I think that's how a lot of these accidents happen.


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## lupina (Mar 4, 2009)

The loss of a child has to be one of the most difficult things any parent's will face. To have it occur because of the actions of a family pet is heartwrenching. 

I only hope this disturbing story will play in the minds of parent's the next time they leave their young child in the family room (with their pet) to head for the kitchen to get a drink from the fridge, or go the laundry room to change a load of wash. 

When I heard the parent's were officers my 1st reaction was oh no...they had a shepherd. Like Sue, I have to say I was relieved that was not the case...

In the metro area where I live GSD's are already on the 'not preferred' list in Johnson Cty, KS. The same community who banned pit bulls in the 80's. It takes only one tragic accident such as this to turn public view against an entire breed. Do you remember reading how Steve Irwin's widow had to publicly make statements requesting individuals not kill stingrays after her husband's untimely accident?


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## HAROLD M (Mar 10, 2009)

Its a sad thing when the family pet kills a human family memeber, should have never left them both alone together , iam just glad it wasnt a pitbull or mastiff type dog or a gsd couse that would be more fuel to the fire for those ignorant people that pass laws about banning certain breeds of dogs while the law should ban certain types of people instead , people that buy a dog then dont train it or "think" it is not an animal anymore since it is living in a domestic home , dog abuse to me is everything from lack of health care to no training at all, to just plain lack of education about dogs in general.... always remeber it normally isnt the dog its the owner(s) that are not trained in dog behavior .....


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