Yet another Tragedy

[Smooshie]

why why WHY don't people learn NOT to leave children unattended around dogs????? :(

Hurt Baby's Aunt Fights For Dog

By STEPHEN THOMPSON spthompson@tampatrib.com
Published: Aug 4, 2004






SEMINOLE - A 2-week-old infant who was grabbed by a family dog and dragged through a house Monday remained in critical condition Tuesday, and her aunt, who owns the animal, vowed to fight for the animal's life.
Suzanna Pound had been left alone, sleeping on a bed in a bedroom, when she was grabbed by a dog that belongs to her aunt, Diane Pound, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office officials said.

The dog carried the newborn into the kitchen and dropped her there, they said.

Diane Pound and authorities disagree as to the dog's breed. Pound maintains the dog, called Spirit, is a mixture of three breeds: chow, German shepherd and Alaskan malamute, said Kenny Mitchell, director of veterinary services at Pinellas County Animal Services.

Mitchell said the canine is a wolf hybrid. Its legs are skinny, its appearance rangy, and its disposition that of a shy animal. ``They aren't shy in attacking kids or small dogs, which could account for the behavior,'' Mitchell said.

Typically, Mitchell said, he and his staff decide whether a dog needs to be destroyed after looking at the severity of the bites. The dog's owner has the right to appeal such a decision, and the issue can go unresolved in the courts for years.

``She wants Spirit back,'' Mitchell said. ``They're not going to do the right thing in this case. I wouldn't trust him around children.''

Diane Pound did not return telephone calls Monday or Tuesday.

In an affidavit she filled out Tuesday, she states she was outside her mother's home at 9166 Sunrise Drive when Spirit grabbed Suzanna. When Pound returned, her mother, Eleanore Pound, told her the dog ``got the baby,'' the affidavit states.

The baby's mother, Melissa Pound, held Suzanna as she spoke with an emergency services dispatcher.

Diane Pound said she called Spirit to a bedroom, and the dog complied. Inside the bedroom, under a bed, was Diane Pound's other dog, described as a mixed-breed German shepherd, Boris. Diane Pound emphasizes in her sworn statement that Spirit was obedient and at no time growled at her.

Suzanna was at All Children's Hospital in critical but stable condition late Tuesday, sheriff's officials said. No further details on her condition were available.

** Just an update on this story:

I just heard on the news that the dog was PTS this afternoon, and child protective services has taken custody of the other three children in the home, citing "unsafe living conditions". Apparently charges are pending against the parents, and possibly the aunt ...the baby is still in critical condition.

here is the link for more infoand a pic of the dog:
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2004/8/4/51198.html

[Guest Anonymous]

:o :o :o
that's all i can say.. :o :o :o :o :evil: :evil:

[StarFox]

2 weeks?! 2 weeks!!!!! Who in the world leaves a 2 week alone with a dog!
I'm glad they took the kids away from them.

What isn't clear is if the dog "mauled" the baby or took her from the bed and dragged her to the kitchen. To me there is a differnce because for a two week old to be attacked by a dog I highly doubt it would survive. I wonder if this dog (which happens to look like a white GSD to me) thought if the baby was a toy or something. :-? Such a shame for the baby and the dog. Two inncoent beings get hurt because of stupidity. :(

[Cairn6]

I don't know I met two wolf hybrid in the Petsmart last week and both looked exactly like that dog. The owners said they were part German Shephard and part wolf. Finally the parents are getting held responsible for these sorts of horrors. I wouldn't let a dog near my 2 week old let alone close enough to grab the baby.

[mouseatthebusstop]

poor dog and baby

[ellieangel]

I'm with K on this one,I very much doubt that this was an attack,Ellie will pinch the kids cuddly toys and take them to her bed,it could be a similar kind of action,if a dog of that size had "attacked" then that baby would not be alive.

Very,very sad.....and wolf dog or not that poor dog was underweight :(

[Seijun]

If that's part wolf, then my dog is half fish. That isn't a wolfdog, and if it is, there is barely even enough walf in it to count as a wolfdog! The pink nose, pure white color, and abvious GSD looks are dead giveaways that this animal has little, if any wolf. *sigh* Just another reason why I HATE it when people mislabel dogs as wolfdogs!

~Seij

[ellieangel]

Come to think of it I can't see any Malamute in there either.

[Seijun]

Prior to Aug 4, all the stories just said it was a white german shepherd, (some said white german shpherd/chow/malamute mix), but AFTER Aug 3, that apperantly is when the "authorities determined" it was part wolf. I can only see white German Shepherd. I am glad that the kid is safe though, stupid parents.. The kid is 2 weeks old, not many dogs that I know of would realize that a 2-week old is an actual human, and not just a really fun squeeky toy. Sure, a lot of dogs are good with kids, but no way would I leave a 2-week old unattended with a dog, even a small one.

~Seij

[Guest Anonymous]

Poor baby...poor dog.

My question is why wasn't a 2 week old baby in a play pen or a crib?

Also, just what I needed a dog bite story near my in laws...I'm sure I'll recived the news clipping in the news with a nasty note from my inlaws.

[Smooshie]

I agree...I don't believe, judging by what I've read, that the dog actually "attacked" the baby,but rather picked it up, not knowing what it was. The news reports say only that the baby had puncture wounds and a skull fracture, which would lead me to believe she wasn't shaken or thrown around, as would happen in a typical "attack".
Its very sad....a child and a potentially innocent dog have to suffer the consequences of people's stupidity and ignorance. Actually all FOUR of the children are suffering the consequences, since the other three have been taken into protective custody and are more than likely in a foster home right now( a very scary, confusing experience...especially for children that young.) This SO could have been avoided :cry:

My dogs are wonderful with children and babies...very calm and gentle....but I would never dream in a MILLION YEARS of leaving them unattended with ANY child (including my own), let alone an infant! :x

[imported_Matty]

Holy Dog!!
If you look at the picture of the white wolf in the picture in this site the simularities are amazing :o
I feel so bad for that little baby, shame on that aunt for leaving a baby unattended with a dog.
I have actually seen a dog attack a mouse, the dog played with it and chewed on it. The dog did not eat the mouse or go any further. We also have a problem with local dogs chasing deer in our province. The dogs will chase the deer, bite them on the hocks and flanks. Once the deer dies the dogs have no more interest. Its the fun of the chase and tearing and biting or the prey most times.

http://www.2lizards.com/arctic-wolf/

[imported_Matty]

To me there is a differnce because for a two week old to be attacked by a dog I highly doubt it would survive. > starfox

This is the reason I went on and on about how dogs some times play with their prey. The mouse that the dog was attacking and stalking did ended up killing it after playing with it for awhile. The little thing died of a broken neck. If your wondering why I didn't save the mouse, for one thing I am frightened of mice and disease. I also did not know the dog and I happened to be working in an area I could see the dog.

[Seijun]

[quote name='Matty']Holy Dog!!
If you look at the picture of the white wolf in the picture in this site the simularities are amazing :o

http://www.2lizards.com/arctic-wolf/

Actually, there are a lot of differences between the two. (pure white and pure black GSD's always appear more wolfish, unfortunately)
The white shepherd/wolfdog/whatever you want to call it:
Large pointed ears
short legs
pure white fur
pink nose
shorter muzzle
short fur
long tail
wide chest

Arctic wolf:
Small, rounded ears
long legs
grizzled white fur with a dark undercoat, copper coloring on muzzle
black nose
long muzzle
longer fur
shorter tail
narrow chest

Here are some white GSD's that look almost identical to the dog that attacked the kid (BTW, the dog was most likely playing with the child like a cat plays with a mouse. My dog catches voles and plays with them, tossing them over her head then pouncing on them, and mutilating them quite badly in the process. The creatures die relatively quick due to being bitten and nipped repeatedly during this 'play'. It is sad that the dog should have to die for displaying natural instincts.)

http://www.gsrt.net/WhiteMurphy.jpg
http://home.global.co.za/~sadtc/SADTCPics/SASHA_TIGHT.jpg
http://web.mawebcenters.com/evanssecurity/images/Mvc-084s.jpg
http://www.shepherdrescue.org/pages/frosty.html
http://www.shepherdrescue.org/pages/frosty2.html

~Seij

[courtnek]

My immediate reaction was that the dog was merely trying to take the "small pink thing" back to the "people" who should be watching it...I bet the dog knew it should not be there unsupervised

I tend to agree with this. If it was a true "attack" the baby would not have survived. The head fracture could have been from dropping the baby on the kitchen floor, and if it had picked the baby up in true doggie fashion it would have been by the neck. accounting for the bites. Maybe the baby was crying and the poor dog was just trying to take it to its parent. no one will ever know. the fact that the other kids got taken away tells a tale on its own. it wasnt because of the dogs, thats for sure......

[Seijun]

Kiwi, the dog would have had to of bitten the child for there to be so much blood, I think it is unlikely that the dog was trying to be gentle (although it’s not impossible). Even the biggest and most powerful of dogs can pick up a child without a scratch if it wants to. How does a dog 'accidentally' put a child in critical condition just by picking it up and carrying it around?

One other thing I just thought of, in regards to dogs 'playing' with their prey. Many dog toys are built to squeak when squeezed. The noise is designed to elicit predatory play behavior in dogs, in exactly the same way a dog's predatory play behavior is triggered when a prey item, such as a mouse, squeals, squeaks, or screams. A dog playing with a squeaky toy and a dog playing with a mouse are exactly the same; both are exhibiting predatory behavior in the form of play, which is triggered by the noise of injured or frightened prey.

~Seij

[courtnek]

Seij, my Lab hunts. and is very good at it. I have never once seen her "play" with her prey. She goes in for the kill, and its done. sorry if thats too graphic, but its true. Cats play with their prey, my cat does it all the time with bugs and such. I have never seen any of my dogs do it. so maybe that's true of some dogs, but not necessarily all.

[Seijun]

I know, the difference with labs though have been bred to retrieve kills, but not mutilate the prey or play with it (although it can't be said of all labs). Many dogs have prey drive that has been modified specificaly for different jobs, such as herding or guarding, or for hunting only one type of animal, like in bird dogs. Others have very low prey drive which is shown ONLY in play. There a lot of dogs though which have prey drive which hasn't been modified. Huskies, Malamutes and GSD's in particular are more likely to have the more 'primitive' sort of prey drive seen in wolves, which is not modified for just one specific type of job, but instead spans over anything that might be considered 'huntable', not just one animal, such as birds or racoons. Of course, this can't be said of all dogs of those breeds either, but a lot of dogs with high prey drive will and do play with there catches like a cat will. And of course, just because a dog plays with a squeaky toy does not mean it will be a hunter, but it is interesting to see how toys have been modified to mimic injured prey to elicit play behavior in dogs (even if that is not what people had in mind when they designed toys to squeak).

~Seij

[Sarahstaff]

I think it's impossible to tell what the dog is from the picture in that article, though odds are that it is not a wolf hybrid... many dogs are rangy, it's not an exclusive wolf trait. The dog does look mostly like a white GSD to me, but it's awfully hard to tell.

I tend to think that the dog was treating the baby as prey, though it's not the dog's fault really, it should never have been in that situation. Dogs don't always kill their prey quickly, particularly if they don't know how. My Elmo caught a squirrel once (I think it was trying to come in through the dog door), and I found him by the back door, squeezing it carefully to make it squeak like his toys do. Just as I was mentally cursing, thinking I was going to have to kill it myself to end it's suffering, he got the skull in his mouth, and I heard it crunch. He was very confused as to why his toy wouldn't squeak any more.

[Smooshie]

Just an update...this was the story in this morning's paper:

Bite Victim's Parents Unfit, Prosecutor Says

By MARK DOUGLAS mdouglas@wfla.com
Published: Aug 6, 2004






CLEARWATER - The parents of an infant mauled by a wolf hybrid Monday have a troubled past and the family is living in questionable circumstances, according to Pinellas prosecutors who testified at a hearing at the Pinellas Justice Center on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Pinellas deputies acting on a court order removed three children, ages 1, 3 and 4 from the custody of their father, Greg Pound, as he was entering All Children's Hospital.

Pound was on his way to visit his 2-week-old daughter, Suzanna, who suffered two skull fractures and remained in critical condition from Monday's dog attack.

In court Thursday, Assistant State Attorney Mariela Llanes told Circuit Judge Marion Fleming the baby's parents can't be trusted to care for their three older children while the baby recovers from being dragged through a Sunrise Drive house by the wolf-dog hybrid.

Llanes said Greg Pound fled with his oldest child four years ago during a domestic violence investigation and that the children's mother, Melissa Pound, had been committed for psychiatric evaluation under the Baker Act in September 2000.

``There's some concerns about the mother's mental health status, and there are some concerns about the father's mental health status,'' Llanes told the judge.

At the time of the dog's attack, they were staying at the Pinellas County home of Greg Pound's mother, Eleanore Pound, but Llanes said the family listed its primary address at a location near Bushnell that has neither electricity nor water.

She also said the couple's three older children are pale and show a ``failure to thrive.'' Llanes said the children had never seen a doctor and have no record of immunizations.

Pound spoke with investigators a few hours after the dog attack but hadn't returned to the hospital to see his newborn daughter until Wednesday, when deputies took his children, sheriff's spokesman Mac McMullen said.

After Thursday's hearing the couple's attorney, Allen Allweiss, said, ``I think both parents were scared to death over what happened to the child.''

Judge Fleming agreed to temporarily place the children with their maternal grandparents, Steven and Linda Steenberge, as long as they pass a ``home study'' by child protection workers.

[Seijun]

Quote:
the dog would have had to of bitten the child for there to be so much blood

Where does it say there was a lot of blood?..all it says is punture wounds...and blood on kitchen lino spreads out and looks like more than it is..and to be honest theres not really a huge amount of blood in a baby anyway..if the blood loss was huge then the baby would have died...

In several other articles I read, it mentioned there being a lot of blood everywhere, it made it sound as though the child had been ripped half to pieces. :-? In the end though, it doesn't matter a great deal I guess, since the dog has been PTS anyway and the child is safe. A friend of mine BTW is working on getting the dog reclassified as a GSD(mix) as the owners had originally labeled it. Apparently the head of animal control decided it was part wolf because it howled :roll: .

~Seij

[Seijun]

So animal and child abuse is no longer called "animal abuse" or "child abuse," it is called "failure to thrive"!? :x That's an awful nice way of stating things... :roll:

~Seij

[Smooshie]

Seijun napisał(a):

A friend of mine BTW is working on getting the dog reclassified as a GSD(mix) as the owners had originally labeled it. Apparently the head of animal control decided it was part wolf because it howled :roll: .

~Seij

I wish your friend luck, but unfortunately I really don't think it will matter at this point, Seij.....the media has splashed this all over as a wolf dog attack....that is all people will remember.

Does your friend work for Pinellas Animal Services? I'm a volunteer there (although the past few months have been so hectic I haven't had a chance to spend much time there). I didn't get a chance to see the "wolf dog"(Spirit) firsthand before he was PTS, so I can't give an opinion on whether it was or wasn't part wolf.

in any case, it is a very sad situation :cry:

[Seijun]

No, she doesn't work for them. Your right, it won't make much of a difference anymore, but it still annoys me. I wish I could've gotten to the dog before it was PTS.

~Seij

[Crested]

[quote name='Tammy']My question is why wasn't a 2 week old baby in a play pen or a crib?

This is what my first thought was. If the baby would be in a crib - how would the dog be able to get it then? Laying on the bed suggests that the baby was left alone on the parents bed unatended! That already suggests to me that something is seriously wrong with this family. Then the dog comes and "mauls" the baby! :roll: I'm with K on this one!
BUT... if the baby would have been in her crib (her own bed) the dog couldn't have picked her up and dragged her to the kitchen.

I never like the fact that authorities take away kids from their families but I really think this thing needs more investigating then wondering about if the dog is a wold hybrid or not and if it should be put down or not.