Bulldog attacks 4 yr. old at Petsmart

**Sister Iroz** · November 10th, 2008, 01:33 PM

DENVER -- Amy Sampson walked into a pet store with her daughters Audra and Lauren, to get a collar for their dog, but were instead attacked by someone else's.

Lauren Sampson, who just turned 5, is still recovering from lacerations and deep puncture wounds on her backside and pelvic area.

"They're itchy," Lauren said.

When asked about the attack, which happened Oct. 28, Lauren scrunched her face, shook her head, then buried her face against her mother.

"She doesn't like to talk about it," Amy Sampson said.

The attack happened at the PetSmart on South Colorado Boulevard, a store that allows customers to bring their pets inside.

"He lunged out and latched onto Lauren," said Amy Sampson, the victim's mom. "At first I was just in shock. I couldn't believe what was happening, then when I finally realized and gathered myself, I grabbed onto her and started pulling her."

"We have different accounts of exactly what happened," said Doug Kelley, director of Denver Animal Control. "The victim's mother said the dog bit without provocation. A witness said the victim startled the dog."

Kelley said the American bulldog, named Nemo, was on a leash inside the store.

Because it was Nemo's first recorded attack in Denver, he was put in quarantine for 10 days and will then be released.

The victim's mom said the dog should have been put to sleep.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...72/detail.html

**wild_angel_1980** · November 10th, 2008, 02:09 PM

Well it finally happened. I have long since thought that certain breeds of dogs should not be allowed to go into PetSmart, PetCo and the like stores.

Any breed that is considered to be an aggressive breed should not be allowed in without a muzzle. People may get pissed off but look at it this way. It protects PetSmart, it protects you from a law suit and it protects your dog from being euthanized!

**Rotten Apple** · November 10th, 2008, 02:23 PM

Originally Posted by wild_angel_1980

Well it finally happened. I have long since thought that certain breeds of dogs should not be allowed to go into PetSmart, PetCo and the like stores.

Any breed that is considered to be an aggressive breed should not be allowed in without a muzzle. People may get pissed off but look at it this way. It protects PetSmart, it protects you from a law suit and it protects your dog from being euthanized!

I don't agree that all dogs of a certain breed should be restricted because of the actions of a few. The problem here lies with the fact that someone had a dog that reacted this way to being "startled." I don't care what breed it was, it should not have been brought into the store OR at the very least, the dog owner should have been more careful.

My dog is a tiny mop, but don't let her looks fool you. She is a mixed breed rescue, and from what I can tell none of them are aggressive.

HOWEVER, she does not get along well with other animals and she does not show any trust for children. She has an old healed injury to one of her front legs that she does not let anyone touch. She will bite, not latch on, but she will protect herself.

I know this so when I take her to get groomed, I always avoid other animals in the area, if I can not, I warn the owners. I also do not allow children to pet her unless I am there showing them exactly how they should do it.

It has less to do with the breed than the owners. I'm sure this was not the first time this dog reacted this way, and the owners knew it.

**Sister Iroz** · November 10th, 2008, 02:32 PM

I know this so when I take her to get groomed, I always avoid other animals in the area, if I can not, I warn the owners. I also do not allow children to pet her unless I am there showing them exactly how they should do it.

My little dog who is part shitzu will bark at everyone and anyone when they come into my house or yard. They always ask if they can pet her and I say do not touch her ears (cause she has bitten someone when ears touched.) I am standing right there because you never know. Also, hubby said she definitely does not take kindly to children at all. So therefore, I will not let them pet or get close. She is very protective of our family!

That being said, you know your dog's personality before you enter the store and therefore take the needed precautions.

**wild_angel_1980** · November 10th, 2008, 02:35 PM

As an owner of a large breed dog I would GLADLY put a muzzle on her if I felt she was a danger to anyone or anything. Only think I have ever seen her attack was a grasshopper!

She is an 95 LBS Samoyed. At her size she could easily kill another animal or harm an adult and do some major damage to a small child.

Thank God she is a well manored and well tempered animal.

**Sarabei** · November 10th, 2008, 03:59 PM

On the flip side, IF (as there were conflicting reports) the child startled this dog, shouldn't the parent have been watching the child? The dog was leashed. I was taught how to approach a dog I didn't know from the time I could toddle. While a dog that reacts to being startled that way bears closer watching, etc. I think the parent should have been watching her child and not letting it approach a strange animal without permission. The dog certainly doesn't deserve to lose its life over this and I am glad it isn't.

**Rotten Apple** · November 10th, 2008, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by Sarabei

On the flip side, IF (as there were conflicting reports) the child startled this dog, shouldn't the parent have been watching the child? The dog was leashed. I was taught how to approach a dog I didn't know from the time I could toddle. While a dog that reacts to being startled that way bears closer watching, etc. I think the parent should have been watching her child and not letting it approach a strange animal without permission. The dog certainly doesn't deserve to lose its life over this and I am glad it isn't.

Sure. The mother should have been watching her daughter better, but who is to say she did not approach this dog properly? There are conflicting reports.

In the end, the major part of the responsibility lies with the dog owner. They aren't going to punish the mother for the actions of a barely 5 year old. Children that young often "forget" the way they were taught to do things. So even IF she came at the dog, if the dog were not already aggressive, it would retreat or cower away from the child.

A family friend had a dog. The dog was tied up in their fenced in yard while they were away from the house. A neighbor's five year old came into the yard and proceeded to hit the dog on the nose with a stick. The dog then bit the childs arm. It was the arm holding the stick. It did not latch on, it did break the skin though. One tooth puncture wound.

Guess who was held responsible? The owners of the dog. It was unfair, but it is how things work.

**Sarabei** · November 10th, 2008, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by Kathy

Sure. The mother should have been watching her daughter better, but who is to say she did not approach this dog properly? There are conflicting reports.

In the end, the major part of the responsibility lies with the dog owner. They aren't going to punish the mother for the actions of a barely 5 year old. Children that young often "forget" the way they were taught to do things. So even IF she came at the dog, if the dog were not already aggressive, it would retreat or cower away from the child.

A family friend had a dog. The dog was tied up in their fenced in yard while they were away from the house. A neighbor's five year old came into the yard and proceeded to hit the dog on the nose with a stick. The dog then bit the childs arm. It was the arm holding the stick. It did not latch on, it did break the skin though. One tooth puncture wound.

Guess who was held responsible? The owners of the dog. It was unfair, but it is how things work.

Yeah, there are conflicting reports so I am saying if she toddled over on her own. Parents today don't pay enough attention. I was never allowed to approach a animal I didn't know without permission. At five, they are young yes, but I loved animals and was taught for as far back as I can remember how to approach them, I never fortot. The think you described, I would be LIVID if my dog was blamed for what that child did. I have always believed an animal has the right to defend itself. The dog you described didn't even bite the child that bad! More of a warning imo....but I will usually err on the side of the animail anyway..lol!

**Dakota Valkyrie** · November 10th, 2008, 04:30 PM

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/feat...og_breeds.html

In study published in July in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, involved researchers from the University of Pennsylvania questioning 6,000 dog owners...

Breeds scoring low for aggression included Basset hounds, golden retrievers, labradors, Siberian huskies.

The rottweiler, pit bull and Rhodesian ridgeback scored average or below average marks for hostility towards strangers.

Greyhounds rated the most docile.

The top three? 1) Dachshund 2) Chihuahua 3) Jack Russell terrier

The difference being that if my 165lb rott performs a playful nip on you, you are far more likely to be injured than if my 9lb lhasa/pom goes psycho on your ass.

Blaming a breed is just as irresponsible as trusting a breed.

**Sarabei** · November 10th, 2008, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota_Valkyrie

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/feat...og_breeds.html

In study published in July in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, involved researchers from the University of Pennsylvania questioning 6,000 dog owners...

Breeds scoring low for aggression included Basset hounds, golden retrievers, labradors, Siberian huskies.

The rottweiler, pit bull and Rhodesian ridgeback scored average or below average marks for hostility towards strangers.

Greyhounds rated the most docile.

The top three? 1) Dachshund 2) Chihuahua 3) Jack Russell terrier

The difference being that if my 165lb rott performs a playful nip on you, you are far more likely to be injured than if my 9lb lhasa/pom goes psycho on your ass.

Blaming a breed is just as irresponsible as trusting a breed.

There is nothing like a greyhound! They are the sweetest things!!

**moonlilly1981** · November 10th, 2008, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by wild_angel_1980

Well it finally happened. I have long since thought that certain breeds of dogs should not be allowed to go into PetSmart, PetCo and the like stores.

Any breed that is considered to be an aggressive breed should not be allowed in without a muzzle. People may get pissed off but look at it this way. It protects PetSmart, it protects you from a law suit and it protects your dog from being euthanized!

Im going to have to disagree with you on this one. Bull Dogs are not an agressive breed. Protective yes but not agressive. I have an american bulldog. My question is what happened to make the dog attack? Was the dog indeed startled? Did the child come up to quickly to the cute puppy? Parents need to take responsiblity for their children just like us pet owners need to take responsibility for our dogs. You always need to ask the owner if you may pet their dog. No matter where you are at. I cant take my bullie to pet smart because she is still to hyper. But how much do you want to bet mamma didnt bother taking her childs hand in the store? Mine know better then to do something like that. Its called teaching them. No way shape or form should this dog be punished. Let alone put to sleep. For crying out loud all dogs run on instinct.