Mother Defends Dog After Attack on Son

[impqueen]

Thanks to AB for sending this one along :)

Mother Defends Dog After Attack on Son
Tuesday, January 29, 2008

A little Australian boy's face was horribly scarred by the family dog - but his
mother vowed to keep the pet, blaming the attack on her son.

Two-year-old Noah Newbold is lucky to have the sight in his left eye after
being mauled by his family's mastiff-staffordshire cross.

Deep cuts and scratches cover the left side of his face.

But, the toddler's mother, Alicia Cottier, said she was keeping the dog despite
the attack because it had been provoked by her son pulling the dog's ears.

"People are telling me I should shoot the dog, and as much as I love my son to
death, I believe Noah was annoying her. I love the dog and she's part of the
family," Cottier said.

Noah is nursing a range of painful injuries after being bitten on Monday night
at his home at Booral in the Hunter Valley.

Police attended the scene but said there no charges would be laid because the
attack had occurred at the home of the dog's owner.

With a large cut on his eyelid, and puncture marks on his cheeks and chin, the
toddler told The Daily Telegraph his pet dog "bited me."

As the child hugged and kissed the dog yesterday, Ms Cottier said the attack
was not the dog's fault.

"It's not like the dog picked him up and shook him or anything, she just
snapped at him for pulling on her ears," she said.

"She's a good dog, I've never had any problems with her before and I don't
think it's her fault."

Young Noah agreed.

"I love Cassey," Noah said.

Paramedics who dressed the boy's wounds said he was lucky to escape with so few
injuries, given his size compared with the dog.

Until Monday night, Cottier said Noah and Cassey played together like best
friends.

But one too many tugs of the dog's ears, according to Cottier, was enough to
set her off.

"Noah was lying all over her and he started pulling her ears. I told him not to
or she'd get cranky," Cottier said.

But Noah persisted.

"Normally when she (Cassey) has had enough, she walks away from him but this
time she snapped at him and she's bitten him on the face," Cottier said.

Noah was covered in blood and crying hysterically when Ms Cottier pulled him
away from the dog and dialled triple-0.

"There was blood everywhere, and he was screaming," she said.

Ambulance officers from the Hunter Westpac Rescue Helicopter attended to Noah
and deemed him "the luckiest boy alive".

Lower Hunter police inspector Glenn Blain said the dog's fate was in the hands
of its owner.

"It happened at the house where the dog lives so no action will be taken," he
said.

[Dark Star]

Hmmm. I absolutely, positively love my sweet bully girl, and yeah she is part of our family, but, if she bites my kid in the face, she's gotta go. If pulling on the dog ears prompted a bite to the face, what happens when the kid steps on it's tail, or some other kid comes over and messes with the dog? I wouldn't want to take a chance that my kid would lose his fucking face over the pet dog, I mean if the dog has bit once, he'll more than likely bite again.

[ZombieBabe]

Boggles the fucking mind. I love my dog and would bet the farm that she would never hurt my kids, even when "provoked", but if she mauled either one of my boys, I would kill her with my bare hands.

Thankfully, I don't have to worry about that. I could go up and stick my face in her bowl as she's eating, and she just kind of looks at me indifferently. The only time her tail doesn't wag is when she's hiding under the furniture during a thunderstorm. She happily endured my little one's infancy, greeting an ear-grab with a big sloppy kiss. Hell, when he was cruising the furniture, she would let him grab fistfuls of fur and lead him around the house, hovering protectively if he fell.

We've talked about getting another dog, but I'm afraid. Pepper is SO good that I don't want us to adopt some terror that I will have to be fearful of. Although, if we did get another dog and it even SNARLED at my kids, I think Pepper would take care of bidness herself and spare me the trouble.

[ells9824]

Boggles the fucking mind. I love my dog and would bet the farm that she would never hurt my kids, even when "provoked", but if she mauled either one of my boys, I would kill her with my bare hands

Absolutely. Of course, I tell my kids that if they don't quit dressing the dog up and she bites them I'll have to get rid of them.

[kakihara]

I could go up and stick my face in her bowl as she's eating, and she just kind of looks at me indifferently.

JEEBUS! I did not know that times were so hard at the ole ZB casa. At least you have a loyal dog that will not let you starve.

P.S.

Cat food is cheaper and tastes better. Just ask any septuagenarian.

[gprime]

This really is absurd. A two year old doesn't know any better. He wasn't trying to harm the dog. Now, I understand similarly that the dog is similarly oblivious. But when it mauls a two year old kid, the choice should be damn clear. There is human safety to be concerned with. Frankly, I don't believe this would should be allowed to retain custody of her kids, based solely on that irrational, dangerous decision.