B.C. toddler dies from dog attack in home

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2004-12-28 10:44pm

A toddler in British Columbia died from multiple dog bites Monday after being attacked by as many as four dogs at his parents' Maple Ridge home.

Two of the dogs, a Rottweiler and a collie, belonged to the three-year-old boy's family. The other two dogs, both Rottweilers, were being taken care of by the family while their owner had been away.

The dogs were being kept in a closed-off basement, but it appears they escaped and attacked the child. The toddler's body was discovered later by someone else in the home.

RCMP Cpl. Rhonda Stoner said there was significant trauma to the boy's body including gashes to his head. Doctors at Ridge Meadows Hospital pronounced the boy dead.

Three other children from the home are now staying with family while officials look into whether "there was anything negligent or criminal to blame in this tragic death," according to an RCMP statement.

The statement also said "police are making efforts to remove all dogs from the home with consideration to putting the dogs down."

Though there have been several dog maulings in Canada, fatalities are rare. An eight-year-old girl was killed by a bull mastiff in Stouffville, Ont. in 1998. In 1995, a 23-year-old Toronto man died after being attacked by his roommate's Staffordshire terrier.

In October, Ontario's government introduced legislation to ban pit bulls in the province. The legislation would also force owners to pay fines of up to $10,000 if their dog attacks.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2004-12-28 11:08pm

A collie was involved in this?

Collies can practically babysit, there's something bizarre going on here.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2004-12-29 12:29am

Frank Hipper wrote:A collie was involved in this? :shock:

Collies can practically babysit, there's something bizarre going on here.

"Animal abuse" comes to mind.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-12-29 12:44am

Rottweilers. Ugh.

Why the hell can't people get real dogs, like Jack Russels? At least they don't try to kill you.

Chmee · Post by **Chmee** » 2004-12-29 12:47am

Some of the most affectionate dogs I know are Rotts or part-Rotts ... but anybody who poorly raises a big, strong dog is creating trouble.

Stofsk wrote:Rottweilers. Ugh.

Why the hell can't people get real dogs, like Jack Russels? At least they don't try to kill you.

A Big Flying Fish · Post by **A Big Flying Fish** » 2004-12-29 05:58am

Uh, I seriously doubt this is simply some dogs getting out and attacking the kid. Although it being rottweilers can't help but make me think someone got them because they're big and have bad reputations.

Stofsk wrote:Why the hell can't people get real dogs, like Jack Russels? At least they don't try to kill you.

I have the scars to say otherwise, although lakelands are worse.

Stofsk · Post by **Stofsk** » 2004-12-29 06:44am

You were attacked by a Jack Russel? Are you sure it was trying to kill you?

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2004-12-29 09:30am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Frank Hipper wrote:A collie was involved in this?

Collies can practically babysit, there's something bizarre going on here.
"Animal abuse" comes to mind.

Possible, but there's also the Pack Mentality. The Rotts attacked, so the collie did to.

Lusankya · Post by **Lusankya** » 2004-12-29 09:31am

See? This is why I'm a cat person.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2004-12-29 09:34am

Lusankya wrote:See? This is why I'm a cat person.

That's true...would've only taken one cat where it took four dogs.

And I'm suspecting some abuse of some sort...especially with the thought of the dogs being kept in the basement.

The Duchess of Zeon · Post by **The Duchess of Zeon** » 2004-12-29 09:35am

Lusankya wrote:See? This is why I'm a cat person. :P

In situations where owners die and their animals are trapped in their homes with them, dogs wait three to four days before starting to feed on the corpse. Cats begin to feed on the corpse immediately and bypass other available sources of food.

Lusankya · Post by **Lusankya** » 2004-12-29 09:39am

The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Lusankya wrote:See? This is why I'm a cat person.
In situations where owners die and their animals are trapped in their homes with them, dogs wait three to four days before starting to feed on the corpse. Cats begin to feed on the corpse immediately and bypass other available sources of food.

Why would I care about that? I'd already be dead. No cute little kitty is going to put me or my loved ones in a dead state.

Chmee · Post by **Chmee** » 2004-12-29 11:34am

Lusankya wrote:
The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Lusankya wrote:See? This is why I'm a cat person.
In situations where owners die and their animals are trapped in their homes with them, dogs wait three to four days before starting to feed on the corpse. Cats begin to feed on the corpse immediately and bypass other available sources of food.
Why would I care about that? I'd already be dead. No cute little kitty is going to put me or my loved ones in a dead state.

I can only think of Hungry Joe in Catch-22 .....

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-12-29 11:40am

LadyTevar wrote:
The Duchess of Zeon wrote:
Frank Hipper wrote:A collie was involved in this?

Collies can practically babysit, there's something bizarre going on here.
"Animal abuse" comes to mind.
Possible, but there's also the Pack Mentality. The Rotts attacked, so the collie did to.

You cant assume it was the rotts

there is most definently something going on here...

As fr Jack Russells not trying to kill you, I have a gash in my hand that says otherwise.

Kerneth · Post by **Kerneth** » 2004-12-29 11:49am

Speaking as someone who worked at a pet store for a year, spending a fair amount of that time around other people's dogs...I can assure you that Jack Russels are among the most vicious little bastards out there, beaten out only by certain Dachsunds and the horrifyingly evil Chihuahua.

I never got bitten by a Rottweiler or another big dog--but I lost a fair amount of blood to the smaller breeds. Usually while their idiotic owners stood there babbling about how "Oh, he's biting you because he likes you!"

Aside from that personal experience, I have to say this seems insane; Collies and Rottweilers both, if raised properly, are perfectly okay with children. My question would be whether the police determined that all four of the dogs were involved in the attack, as opposed to just the neighbor's dogs, and whether there was some form of abuse going on (aside from having the dogs locked in the basement in the first place).

Furthermore, for fuck's sake, did the parents just leave the baby at home by itself for a few hours for this to happen? While I myself don't have children, I'm pretty sure you can't leave a toddler by itself for extended periods of time safely, with or without four dogs in the house.

Something funky going on here, imo.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2004-12-29 11:54am

Toddler goes missing for HOURS and the parents aren't the ones to find it but someone else and the corpse was in the house the whole time? You bet your ass there's something very odd going on here. You don't let your toddler out of sight for more than a few minutes for obvious reasons.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-12-29 12:06pm

Stravo wrote:Toddler goes missing for HOURS and the parents aren't the ones to find it but someone else and the corpse was in the house the whole time? You bet your ass there's something very odd going on here. You don't let your toddler out of sight for more than a few minutes for obvious reasons.

Dog attacks also have tendancy to be und and noisy affairs.

There had to be criminal negligence...

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2004-12-29 12:21pm

Frank Hipper wrote:A collie was involved in this?

Collies can practically babysit, there's something bizarre going on here.

You can get any dog aggressive, just have to work hard enough.
Just like humans, dogs have characters, too. A racial sterotype doesn't fit all dogs equally well.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2004-12-29 12:23pm

Stofsk wrote:Rottweilers. Ugh.

Why the hell can't people get real dogs, like Jack Russels? At least they don't try to kill you.

Real Dogs start once they reach knee-height

And Rottweilers, despite their reputation, can be among the most carying, protective dogs you'll ever find.

A Big Flying Fish · Post by **A Big Flying Fish** » 2004-12-29 02:20pm

Stofsk wrote:You were attacked by a Jack Russel? Are you sure it was trying to kill you?

It was trying to kill another of the dogs I have, I just got in the way. The damn things were trying to get at each other even when they were hanging in midair. They're just over terrirtorial little gits. Oh how I love them. Bigger dogs just seem more relaxed.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2004-12-29 02:35pm

A Big Flying Fish wrote:
Stofsk wrote:You were attacked by a Jack Russel? Are you sure it was trying to kill you?
It was trying to kill another of the dogs I have, I just got in the way. The damn things were trying to get at each other even when they were hanging in midair. They're just over terrirtorial little gits. Oh how I love them. Bigger dogs just seem more relaxed.

I tried to take something away from the little shit, and he had a go at my hand

Chmee · Post by **Chmee** » 2004-12-29 02:48pm

Slightly off-topic ....

I had Christmas dinner at a house I'd never been to before, and as I drove up to the mountaintop estate of our hosts (I swear, they own the whole frickin' hilltop, bunch of cleared acreage for horses), two HUGE dogs ran out toward the car I was following .... a very big German Shepherd, extremely blonde, and something that looked like a Lab-Rott mix, both of them close to 100 lbs.

Now I like big dogs, but even I looked at these monsters running at the cars and thought 'Geez, are they going to tear off the tires or something?'

Friendliest Shepherd you could possibly meet, both big dogs were complete attention whores .... never barked once. Just incredibly happy to meet new people.

Their owner obviously knows how to treat big dogs.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2004-12-29 04:54pm

Chmee wrote:Slightly off-topic ....

I had Christmas dinner at a house I'd never been to before, and as I drove up to the mountaintop estate of our hosts (I swear, they own the whole frickin' hilltop, bunch of cleared acreage for horses), two HUGE dogs ran out toward the car I was following .... a very big German Shepherd, extremely blonde, and something that looked like a Lab-Rott mix, both of them close to 100 lbs.

Now I like big dogs, but even I looked at these monsters running at the cars and thought 'Geez, are they going to tear off the tires or something?'

Friendliest Shepherd you could possibly meet, both big dogs were complete attention whores .... never barked once. Just incredibly happy to meet new people.

Their owner obviously knows how to treat big dogs.

Sounds like cute little doggies

Our last Dobermann/Great Dane mix was way over 100 lbs. and very tall. But was the nicest dog there ever was.
And our two new once just the same. If only a bit too crazy

Solauren · Post by **Solauren** » 2004-12-29 05:02pm

Why the HELL would you have 3 Rottweilers in a house anyway?

That's just ASKING for trouble. They'll either form a pack mentality, or will get so high strung.....

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2004-12-29 05:15pm

Solauren wrote:Why the HELL would you have 3 Rottweilers in a house anyway?

That's just ASKING for trouble. They'll either form a pack mentality, or will get so high strung.....

Nonsense.
If handled properly, they'll behave like any nice dog. We have had three big dogs in our home, without any problems whatsoever...