2 Pit Bulls Maul A 4 Year Old Boy
 

Wow, check out this story on CNN:

http://www.click2houston.com/news/50...0412&qs=1;bp=t

HOUSTON -- A deputy opened fire on two pit bulls Tuesday morning after the animals mauled a 4-year-old boy near his west Harris County home, KPRC Local 2 reported.

Authorities with the Harris County Sheriff's Department said the pit bulls escaped through a hole under the fence of their home in the 15700 block of South Alley Court and attacked the boy at about 9 a.m. as he walked to school with his mom.

Nearby resident Lawrence Tyler told KPRC Local 2 that he went outside to help after hearing violent screams from the attack.

"I came outside and I saw the dog actually chewing on the kid. I grabbed a chair and a knife and I came outside and was shooing the white (dog) away," Tyler said. "Police were shooting at the black (dog)."

LifeFlight transported the child to Memorial Hermann Hospital with bites and lacerations. The boy is expected to recover. He received several stitches.

"I didn't actually see his injuries but he had several bite marks to the back and his legs," Harris County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Quincy Whitaker said.

Someone flagged down a deputy, who fired several gunshots at both dogs.

"He fired once, the dog went to his knees, stood back up. He fired again and the dog laid there. The other dog took a couple of steps back and remained there," Whitaker said.

The bullets grazed the front leg of one of the dogs. That dog is expected to survive. The other dog was not struck.

Both animals have been placed in quarantine for 10 days. A judge will then rule whether the dogs will live.

The family said the dogs have never attacked anyone before and described them as good pets. The owners had no idea the dogs escaped.

Neighbors want the animals put down.

"Once a dog attacks, it needs to go down. And I love animals, but I don't tolerate that kind of violence and certainly never, ever with a child," neighbor Jill Pickett said.

Deputies issued the owners three citations for each dog for no leash, no tags and for letting the dogs roam free.

-----------------------------------
Copyright 2005 by Click2Houston.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

I hate that a story like this has to be posted, but it is so necessary for people to see. Can you imagine the fear that that little boy went through? Just this morning a woman was walking her 2 pits off-leash. I was pretty pissed because anything can happen. A cop who was walking through the neighborhood actually stopped her and was reprimanding her as we walked by.

I don't seem to understand what the question is when keeping your dog ON THE LEASH. Not only is it safe for people but also I don't know why they don't realize that it can be unsafge for the dog. It is irresponsible and dangerous.

I don't understand why they are on quarantine for 10 days. THEY MAULED, therefore they need to be put down. I love animals, though pit bulls are not favored by me, but once it's overstepped the boundary like that, IT IS OVER. This is always the same story of the owners saying they have never done anything like this bla bla bla. They have been bred to fight and attack, that's all there is to it. A lot of it is owners but the is a breed malfunction mostly. JMO. I respect that many have PB and care for them a lot but this is MY personal opinion. I would just say watch out for your kids and yorkies. Stories like these prove to me even more that they could snap at any given time, even if they haven't before. What a sad little boy :(

That's so sad..

TOTALLY agree! :thumbup:

:thumbup: right on! I'm not a big fan of pits, either...look at past closed threads. To me, it doesn't matter how good of a home it lives in, it is bred in their genes to work bulls and to be agressive towards bulls. If a dog isn't agressive, how on earth would it compete and keep a 2,000 lb bull in line? Yes, they are beautiful dogs but I am terrified to read stories like this one. This poor innocent child that was walking to school. I'd killed the dogs myself!

Me too!

I know that not ALL Pit Bulls are dangerous, I know it depends on how they are bred, treated, etc.. But, I feel they have the propensity to be dangerous so, how can someone be willing to take a chance like that. This is a very sore spot with me because I have a niece with 3 small children all under 8 years old, her and her husband are convinced that Pit Bulls are wonderful dogs that are getting a bad rap and they have 2 Pits. I cannot tell you how I worry about one of those dogs snapping and hurting one of those kids. I hope I never get to say "I told you so"

IMO those dogs should be put down immediately. Once something like this happens they can never be trusted again. Poor little boy.

Let me guess, these dogs probably were not socialized, owner probably didn;t even know that they were gone until notified by police and only god knows if they used to get beat up, they never got medical care and i really doubt they had any type of obedience training. Now it atacks a kid, for whatever reason and situation it was put in and it is ONLY the dogs fault? IMO the owner should be held totaly responsible and the dogs have to the checked out to really find out if they are vicious or not. Maybe, just maybe they were never taught any better and just acted as they thought was the right way. I really wish not everyone could own pets.

But then again, it is just easier to kill dogs than to realize that some humans are discusting and try to take the time to fix what went wrong!!

I only feel sorry for the dogs and the kid!

I wonder if this is the same dog that got with Villettes neighbors dog. remember the thread cant get the screaming out of my head.

Well at least that little boy wasn't killed. Visicious pitt bulls can't be blamed. It's their owners that teach them how to behave so terribley (SP).

I think the breed of this dog is totally incedental. When I was 10 I got taken down by a pack of neighborhood dogs. A great dane, a German Shephard, and there was even a Scottie in the mix.

All these dogs were free-roaming back-yard dogs who had very little attention. Neglected dogs become wild dogs. It doesn't really matter what breed it is.