Do you think it is right to even suggest that a two year old killed by a pit bull could be at fault?

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Jenny

I had someone suggest that perhaps the pit bull was provoked. I'm sure that two year old was threatening the pit bulls life and it had to kill the toddler. No way a growl or nip would have sufficed? This person is actually suggesting that the dog could have been justified.

I say that there is no provocation under the sun that a two year old could possibly do anything to justify that reaction. This person is far more ready to blame a dead toddler over a 100+/- pound dog.


The person also goes on to defend the mother saying it wasn't her fault. They apparently don't see how leaving a two year old with a 100#+/- pit bull is completely irresponsible and that if she was determined to have such an animal in her house that it was her duty to protect her child and ensure that the animal was secured and could never be a threat to her child. After all, two year olds are known to be somewhat unpredictable themselves.

Of course it is her fault. She left a two year old unsupervised with a 100# biting machine. It doesn't matter if the dog had been good for years. Leaving a toddler with any large dog is totally irresponsible. If she was determined to have such an animal in her home, it was her duty to secure the dog and never leave her child alone with it.

Finally, I find it noteworthy that the mother left the house without a scratch. I guess her house is so big that she couldn't hear her child being eviscerated or she was too scared to even try to rescue her child.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/25/tod…

Answer
Do I think a 2-year-old could provoke an unstable dog to bite? Yes, certainly. The dog isn't going through some mental checklist of "can this human kill me?" or "what response would best make my point?". The dog is reacting in the moment to a child who *might have* seriously hurt or startled the dog in some way. The injury that killed the child may also be exaggerated by media. That is not to say that it wasn't a serious bite, but one serious bite to the head, neck, or thigh could quickly result in fatal blood loss.

However, that does not mean that the child is "at fault" for the incident. A toddler is impulsive and does not understand safety or the effects of her actions on others. The person/persons to blame for the incident would be whichever ADULTS made the terribly poor decision to leave the dog and the toddler alone together.

All those supposedly cute youtube videos of infants and toddlers mauling the "good old family dog" by chewing his ears, yanking his tail, bopping him with toys, etc. make me cringe. One momentary loss of control on the dog's part and their child may be damaged for life and their beloved dog may be have to be euthanized. Little kids and big dogs can mix, but there must be adult supervision, a safe space away from the child for the dog, and adult guidance so that the child is taught proper behavior around the pet.

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