PIT BULL ATTACKS CHILD! READ THIS!!

[AllAmericanPUP]

I feel so bad for the child :(

They finally put the blame on the person instead of the dog!!!!

Caretaker arrested after pit bull attacks toddler
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Jeff Thomas was arrested Wednesday evening after his girlfriend's daughter Bre'el Thomas was mauled by a pit bulldog. Authorities say that he was supposed to be watching the toddler, but he was asleep inside his home. (Photo: WKRN)


The pit bull who attacked Bre'el Thomas recently had puppies and may have been trying to protect them. (Photo: WKRN)

Investigators call it the worst pit bull attack in recent memory: an 18-month-old Cannon County girl left to fend for herself while her caretaker slept inside. Now the child is in critical but stable condition in a Nashville hospital while her mother's boyfriend faces charges.

Her youthful resilience might spare her, but it was childlike curiosity that led 18-month-old Bre'el Thomas down a path and into the jaws of a vicious pit bull. Sheree Gregg found the little girl after the savage mauling.

"And I just totally panicked. I started screaming, 'Call 911! Call an ambulance!'" said Gregg.

Cannon County Det. Charlie Wilder said, "The child was alert and looking around. The child was not screaming at that point. My witnesses say that she was in shock."

Investigators arrested Bre'el's mother's boyfriend, who was supposed to be watching the child. Jeff Thomas now faces charges. Sheriff's deputies say Thomas was drunk and passed out in this trailer when little Bre'el toddled away. For loved ones, disbelief has turned to anger.

Gregg said, "We don't know if he was on drugs, if he was drinking or what. But if we'd known this, we'd never left the baby with him."

Family member Melba Finley said, "I am angry. To me, that's my grandchild!"

The dog that attacked little Bre'el is one of a trio of pit bulls chained in a neighboring yard. No one blames the animal, who might have been protecting her three-week-old puppies. No one blames the child. Everyone blames the grownup who should've known better, and one even blames the mother.
"If she thinks, if he was drinking or something, she should have took her child," she said.

This, of course, isn't the only dog mauling involving a child. You may remember a case 10 years ago involving little Tyler Throneberry of Tullahoma. He was just 2 years old when a pack of dogs tore off Tyler's left arm and mutilated his face. Doctors told his parents he'd never live a normal life, but now Tyler does. When News 2 last saw him in 2001, the 9-year-old was overcoming the odds, and was even playing Little League Baseball. He will, however, have permanent scars the rest of his life.

Brent Frazier for News 2 at 10 pm
11.17.04

[between the wrinkles]

that's so sad for the kid. horrible person to be so careless like that. at least they're saying it's not because the dog is a pit bull! i hate when news says that. it probably was protecting her babies, and probably didn't know the child was not a threat. still that person should have been up watching both the dog and the child. :o

[AllAmericanPUP]

Are dogs that territoral of their pups?

Yea, they are.
My friend's poodle had puppies and I tried to sneak a peak over the whelping box and she definately knew she didn't want me around.
Dogs usually only let their owners(adults) near the puppies.

[Guest Mutts4Me]

The mommadog was chained? How were the three-week old puppies contained?? And why were they outside?? Ack.

A friend's Chi was very defensive when I looked at her puppies in the box. Her owner picked a puppy up and gave it to me to hold, though, and the momma jumped on my lap and just frantically watched. I felt so bad (I didn't actually ask for the puppy) I put it back.

I feel so bad for that kid, she's probably going to have physical and mental trauma for the rest of her life.

[courtnek]

The dog that attacked little Bre'el is one of a trio of pit bulls chained in a neighboring yard. No one blames the animal, who might have been protecting her three-week-old puppies. No one blames the child. Everyone blames the grownup who should've known better, and one even blames the mother

well, that's iffy. If the guy is a known drinker, then yes, I would fault the mother as well. this could have been a one-off. But still, if you are in charge of watching a child, you dont drink, and you dont let yourself fall asleep. He IS to blame, with or without the mother being guilty as well...

[imported_Kat]

another case of irresponsible "adults" resulting in a kid getting mauled. This could well have been avoided.