Two Pit Bull dogs are suspected of mauling their owners’ 2-year-old son, who was bitten so viciously on the head and neck that one of the animals broke a tooth, officials in Hesperia said last week, according to an article in the Riverside Press-Enterprise. According to the news report, the toddler suffered jaw fractures, a crushed bone around one eye, puncture wounds and gashes on his head and face after the Thursday afternoon attack.
The boy, whose name was withheld because of his age, is in critical condition at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Officials are not sure what provoked the attack, but say that when officers arrived at the home, the two Pit Bulls – a male and a female – had blood on them and were barking and growling. The article states that the boy had gone outside to the driveway where he was ambushed by the male dog. Officials don’t know what triggered the attack, but say it could range from the boy touching the dog to the child falling down thereby setting off the pack animal instinct of attacking a wounded animal.
The family had owned the male Pit Bull for only a month, but officials learned that the dog had displayed violent tendencies even within that time. Two weeks ago, the male Pit Bull had attacked and injured a neighbor’s dog, officials said. Both dogs will be quarantined for at least 10 days because they don’t have current licenses and rabies shots. A hearing will be held in the next 20 days to determine how and why the boy was attacked and what should become of the dogs, the article stated. If the family gives up the dogs, they will likely be euthanized, officials said. But they said the family has expressed a desire to have the female Pit Bull back.
If the family chooses to keep both dogs, the hearing officer may require the owners to kennel the animals on the property and muzzle them whenever they leave the property. As a last resort, the officer could order the animals to be euthanized, the article said.
Pit Bull attacks have become the norm rather than the exception these days. A number of California cities as well as cities nationwide are seriously considering banning dangerous breeds of dogs such as Rottweilers and Pit Bulls because of similar incidents. Some animal activist groups and organizations sympathetic to Pit Bulls cry foul whenever such legislation is proposed. They say these breeds are “being discriminated against.”
Well, then, why do we see a pattern when it comes to dog attacks? Why is it that almost every news report or injury report of a dog attack involves one of these breeds of dogs? At Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, we’ve found that these breeds are dangerous and that they cause significant injuries and death, especially when they prey on small children. Families view them as pets, but it only takes a minor provocation, a small trigger, for this loaded gun to go off. We don’t even know what that trigger was in the case of this toddler in Hesperia who is now fighting for his life.
Above all, it’s shocking to hear that this family actually wants one of the dogs back! The same dog that was smeared with their child’s blood? Seriously, do warnings mean nothing?
What do you think? Should Pit Bulls be banned as pets? We would love to hear from you.
If you or a loved one has been injured call us for a free consultation with an experienced dog bite lawyer. at 1-800-259-6373.