LIVERMORE FALLS, Maine — A 1-year-old boy and his mother face extensive surgery after being attacked by the family dog on Saturday.
The baby remained hospitalized Sunday evening.
Livermore Falls police officer Joe Sage was called to a Route 17 home for a reported dog bite incident Saturday morning. When he arrived, he found the child with severe facial injuries and bleeding heavily. The mother was also badly injured by the dog, a pit bull-wolf hybrid mix.
Both were taken to Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington by NorthStar EMS.
According to police, the dog had been locked in a room and quarantined the previous day by the town’s animal control officer for undisclosed reasons.
Apparently the doorway of the room in which the dog had been barricaded was low enough for the child to peer over, according to an email sent by Livermore Falls police Lt. Thomas Gould.
The dog grabbed the child by the head, pulled him over the barricade and began to maul him, Gould stated.
When the parents ran to aid the child, the mother was also attacked. They were eventually able to lock the animal in the bathroom, Gould stated.
Animal control officer Susan Metzger came to the scene, as did a veterinarian, who euthanized the dog. The dog’s remains will be tested in Augusta.
On Sunday, the child was still in surgery with severe facial damage, Gould said.
The baby’s mother, who had received stitches, is expected to undergo another round of reconstructive surgery to her arm, the lieutenant said.
There is no connection between this mauling and other pit bull-related attacks in the area, Gould said.
All you fanatics remember to round up all the pits while your rounding up all the guns.
The problem is not pit bulls, or guns. The problem is that some people don’t have respect for how dangerous these things can be; they don’t keep their children away from what is apparently a violent dog, or keep guns locked away from their mentally disturbed son. It’s because of that rules need to be at least looked at and discussed.
Pit bulls are the pits.
“Pit bull-wolf hybrid”
Now that sounds like a good family dog…..
Not quite the personality of a Lab, but a little snuggler anyway. And look at those teeth!
Why would one think its acceptable to crossbreed. Hope there is DHS involvement.
Crossbreeding is the method behind many eventual “purebreds” isn’t it? It isn’t the problem in and of itself; it’s what’s being crossbred that matters, and in the this case, if it was deliberate it was just plain stupid. That poor animal should never have been born in the first place.
Thanks for making my point.
I’m still trying to fathom how the BDN intends to blame this incident on LePage .. I’m sure the editors will find some means to spin it against the administration.
Thats really REALLY stupid and overreaching.
Best post.
Because crossbreeding keeps out genetic mutation. Its for the same reason you shouldn’t have kids w/ your kids…or have kids w/ your parents. That kinda thing.
You are referring to interbreeding.
THE best junkyard dog you could ever find though.
Bad Bad Leroy Brown. Meaner than a junkyard dog.
Thank You Jim, R.I.P.
Robo-Lassie.
I’d be interested in hearing why the dog was quarantined. What a tragedy. I hope that poor baby is ok.
The dog wasn’t quarantined it was put down.
earlier in the article they did say he was quarantined for an undisclosed reason by the animal control officer the previous day
According to police, the dog had been locked in a room and quarantined the previous day by the town’s animal control officer for undisclosed reasons.
You may want to go back and read the article. Especially the part where it clearly states that the day before this happened the dog was quarantined by the animal control officer.
You are correct I skipped over that sentence apparently. Also thank you to the other six people that pointed that out because one certainly wasn’t enough.
Go cry more. Read the whole thing next time instead of getting your panties in a bunch when you get called out on it.
Your village called….
Your trailer park called….
LOL….good one!
Read the article
the only reasons they do quarantine is if a dog bites, unless it was bitten by a suspected animal with rabies
According to police, the dog had been locked in a room and quarantined the previous day by the town’s animal control officer for undisclosed reasons.
seventh sentence.
If you read the story it says that animal control quarantined the dog in a room in the house, why animal control didn’t quarantine the dog outside the house, or in a kennel or something safer!
If you read the story like it’s written I think she meant ;that the dog was quarantined and locked in a room. It was put down after the fact.
Quite possibly because someone alerted the aminal control officer of this wolf-hybrid, they have been illegal in Maine since June 2011. Ownership of wolf hybrids is prohibited unless a person holds a valid permit to possess wildlife in captivity issued by MDIFW. These animals would need to be maintained under wildlife in captivity standards currently held by MDIFW. The law further requires wolf hybrid owners to license their animals in the town where they reside, as well as requiring that those animals be vaccinated for rabies and permanently identified. An added provision to the law calls for all currently licensed wolf hybrids to be neutered.
Thank you for your information
Thank you. Hopefully they’ll fill us all in.
Why on earth would you have a dog that’s a wolf hybrid if you have a young child? My heart goes out to this family as they deal with the aftermath of this attack. Heal up quick, little baby <3
Pitbull/Wolf hybrid? Why would anyone want a mix like that in a dog?
Obviously someone that wants a meanass killing machine – Breeding an animal like that is a crime in itself !
DONT blame it on the pitbull part of the animal. It either was the wolf in it OR it jsut plain wasnt raised right. prolly beaten or mistreated in some way. Dogs..cats or animals in general reflect their human owners. My buddy had a pitbull in Florida, no the ears and tail were not cut back, and it was raised as a family dog and what a great family dog it was. Loving.. playful..protective, but not overly.
you people keep saying “don’t blame the pitbull” and yet we keep hearing about these attacks, injuries, and deaths at the hands of them.
You will continue to hear sane rational people say that because it is the truth.
I don’t want to jump on the gun bandwagon, though you realize that’s the same exact logic you and others are using when it comes to them. See JayBee’s post. Pitbulls and guns are not the problem.
pitbulls are animals, guns are inanimate objects.
Yes…though both are dangerous in the wrong hands and generally safe in the right hands.
I don’t have an opinion on the dog debate, but I do find it ironic that you say “DONT blame it on the pitbull part of the animal” and then immediately blame the wolf part of the animal.
Wolves have not been domesticated as Pit Bulls have. Think of the woman who put a bobcat in her car. We treat bobcats and house cats differently because one is domesticated (and a lot smaller) while the other is not.
That’s like saying
“Yes i have a pet tiger, but i raised it well! never abused it! It would never hurt a flea”
“it’s the owner not the breed”
(headline) “Man mauled to death by pet tiger, never saw it coming”
That’s like saying non-domestic animals and domestic animals are the same thing. Think before you open your mouth next time.
exactly.
a pitbull should not be a domesticated animal. time and again people have been mauled or killed by them.
they are a wild breed and they don’t do well with people.
My neighbors had a pitbull or a staffordshire terrior as they called him, he was great with them but a menace to the rest of the neighborhood. He continually got loose and terrorized all the old ladies, cats, dogs, and old men in the neighborhood. Then one day he ran through the wrong old mans back yard and a 12 gauge slug did him in. He growled at the wrong old man that day. The old man used him for lobster bait and never lost a minutes sleep.
Anyone that lets a dog run wild shouldn’t be surprised if fido ends up missing, either by 12 gauge or animal control. Though truly…is that the dog’s fault?
Wow, you missed the joke I made about your poor comparison by a mile. Congrats.
Don’t blame the pit bull…..?????
Pit bulls were bred, intentionally, to bait bulls. To bite and hang onto an animal many times their size and strength, even though they were being thrashed around like a rag doll.
They were bred to do this.
And you say when they bite someone, it is not in their nature?
I guess you must be happy, because ignorance is bliss.
Okay, then Bulldogs, Bull Terriers, all Hound breeds and most other dogs should be banned/killed too? Hounds chase and often rip animals to shreds while still alive. But I don’t see anyone banning them. I don’t see anyone wanting to kill Bulldogs because of their past or breed history. Make a better excuse for wanton murder, please.
Neither guns nor pitbull-wolf hybrids kill people, right?
Yes….like people never killed each other before guns.
Do you have a link to the historical reference of the pre-gun massacre of almost 2 dozen children by one person all at once?
I believe in Waco they set their compound on fire and 76 people were killed. Not sure on how many children but if your crazy enough people will find a way, ban one thing and nut jobs will come up with something else.
The FBI set the compound on fire using tanks and who knows what else, not the Branch Dividians.
And hang around comment boards making trite and infantile observations, apparently.
Again – I questioned the reference to “before guns”. This event does not fit that description.
um yes actually.
Bath school disaster, Michigan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_School_disaster
Good link, thanks.
The difference is, there aren’t millions of Americans insane enough to belong to the National Bomb Association, demanding that every American has the right to bear and use bombs, and claiming that if everyone armed themselves with bombs, bomb death would be reduced.
But many belong to the DEMOCRATIC PARTY and vote down ‘stop n’ frisk’ laws that could make our streets and highways safe to be on; and also vote down effective restrictions on violence in the media because of their obsession with free speech…fostered by the same hollywood moguls who profit from violence.
They want it both ways. Depending on the news of the day.
We don’t want stop and frisk because it violates the fourth amendment. You might want to look it up. It’s on the same page as the second.
They really don’t like it when you point out the idiocy of their position.
The arms race played out at the macro level, why not the micro? ;)
Good point. It should be illegal to possess either bombs or assault weapons. Wait, one of these already is illegal…….
This occurred “before guns”????
Really?
it didn’t occur before guns, but no guns were used. only explosives.
Timothy McVeigh killed 19 children without a gun…
Timothy McVeigh used a BOMB. Is the NRA going to start advocating for the right for everyone to have a bomb to “hunt” or “protect themselves” now?
They might, if they see a profit in it.
Since your point was killing “before guns” and McVeigh’s act of domestic terrorism did not occur in that long since past …
… you have no answer, right?
Trust me, I saw that your question included the words ‘before guns’. I was merely pointing out that not all events that tragically take the lives of children require guns. Not that I actually expected you to understand the point I was making, but I hoped…
Of course it’s different, though in many ancient conquests, soldiers personally slaughtered babies and children by the hundreds. Maybe thousands. A defenseless group of kids (even adults) against a trained swordsman would fare just as poorly as they would against a gun. And though I doubt the speed would be on par with that of a gun, I guarantee it would happen a lot faster than we think.
Here’s one.The Bath School disaster is the name given to three bombings in Bath Township, Michigan, on May 18, 1927, which killed 38 elementary school
children, two teachers, and four other adults; at least 58 people were
injured. The perpetrator first killed his wife, and committed suicide with his last explosion. Most of the victims were children in the second to sixth grades (7–14 years of age[1]) attending the Bath Consolidated School. Their deaths constitute the deadliest mass murder in a school in United States history.
No, the people that OWN THEM do.
Sounds like the gene pool needs more chlorine.
Once again it proves: “There is no cure for STUPID”.
Agreed! Why would someone want to have a dog like that around their toddler? Chihuahuas and Pomeranians! You never hear of one of them mauling anything.
Actually the worse dog bite I ever got was from a corgi. Any dog has enough force in its jaw to do serious damage if it so wishes. And even a cat can can cause serious damage if it so wishes with its claws and teeth.
The worst dog bite you ever received was from a corgi. That’s because you have yet to be bitten by a pitbull. I hope you are not a statistician.
And you lived to tell about it. So often not so with a Pit Bull. Biggest difference between a PB attack and one by other breeds is the “fight to the finish” instinct bred into the animal.
Just because someone walks away from a bite rather than dies does not make one worse than the other. They both BIT SOMEONE.
You can’t possibly be that numb.
What? I couldn’t understand your horrible sentence structure and spelling.
OK. let’s get this straight. HUGE difference between dog BITE and dog MAULING.
And let’s just ask ourselves, “how many fatal cat attacks there have been?”.
If your neighbor has a corgi and doesn’t have control of their animal, no one is going to die. If your neighbor has a designer Mastiff, Pit or wolf mix, and they don’t have control over their animal, it is likely hat someone will die or be seriously injured.
Chihuahuas and Pomeranians bite people often. Damage from those bites dont do the damage a bigger dog would do but they do bite and do so often. I just dont think most of them are reported.
I wouldn’t want one of those little ankle biters around my infant either. Don’t forget about dachshunds. those little buggers sure can be mean. Thing about those little doges though, is that it’s alot easier to kick them through the goal posts or just pick them up and throw them if they are attacking a small child. either way, with all of the stories of many dogs mauling and killing infants, there really is NO damn excuse for this. None.
you would pick up a small dog and kick it through goal posts? disturbing…
The dog would get a lot worse than a hard kick from me if I caught it biting a child!
You are darn right. Paige, no silly, I don’t go around kicking dogs. You should hear it around my house with the cats. “ohhhhhhh whoooo’sss a good boy, who’s a good boy. who’s a smart kitty?” you get the idea. We were talking about when a dog mauls a helpless little child. I find it disturbing that you would not want to get in between a pissed off dog and a child. what would you do, talk to the dog about it’s feelings? (sorry, this was meant to be under Paige)
A friend of mine had a Chihuahua and that little thing was the nastiest small dog I’ve seen, would most surely bite your hand if you dared to put it in front of her.
Another friend had a Shar Pei that mauled her grandson, thankfully not to death but the dog had this child by the head.
My mother had a Cocker Spaniel that bit both her and my brother in the face.
ANY dog can bite, they do not need any provocation.
Small dogs are very nasty animals with terrible temperaments. In my experience with dogs, I’ve been bit or nipped at much more by little dogs over big ones…and while the bigger ones will do more physical damage, it doesn’t really matter what size the dog is around babies or toddlers.
The dog was quarantined in a room with a doorway low enough that a one-year old could look over it. If it was that low, the dog could have gotten out anyway – it wasn’t barricaded or quarantined!
DHS should be alerted…the child remanded to state custody…mother imprisoned dog euthenised
There is no such thing as “wolfhybrid” it’s either a wild animal or a dog.
Ice the dog was in the room and not proven to be safe by a town official and they kept a baby in the house with it! Class act parents
If the barricade was low enough for a 1 yr old to stick his head over, than it was low enough for the dog to have jumped out. Sounds like the dog was ill
Even without seeing an actual picture of this so called pitbull/wolf hybrid I feel certain it is NOT an actual wolfdog mix. Wolfdogs (hybrids) are bred using northern dogs like huskies, malamutes, and shepherds to complement their wolfy looks and personalities. There are no *legitimate* breeders of wolf/pittbull mixes, absolutely none, period.
Here are a few more examples of people who just like *to think* their pit bull dog is part wolf without there being any basis in reality for doing so.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-yaDjp34X8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqR_0W148gw
This is a breeder of mutts – no wolf content whatsoever.
http://www.domesticsale.com/classifieds/wolfpitbull-puppies-in-time-for-xmas-now-takin-bids-text-me-your-offer-greenville-pennsylvania-a694982.html
You used the word LEGITIMATE Breeders. why was that?
Pitbulls should be illegal in this state. It is like playing with razor blades eventualy you will get cut.
Because any idiot can claim they own or are breeding pit bull/wolf hybrids, (hence the example i already provided), but it does NOT mean they really are pit bull/wolf hybrids.
so are you saying guns should be illegal also?
guns dont attack people
Gun don’t act on their own
Some animals just have a wild natural instinct. People that think they can change natural instincts of animals just aren’t too bright. I hope this poor little one makes a full recovery.
“Some animals just have a wild natural instinct. People that think they can change natural instincts of animals just aren’t too bright.”
Someone told me that it has been statistically proven that even though a boy beats on his girlfriend during courtship, he immediately changes into a loving, caring man the moment they are married.
I don’t believe this. — You know as well as I do that it is when they have their first child that he stops beating on her.
The humble Farmer
You are right. Actually all dogs operate on instinct. If provoked enough, all dogs have the potential to bite. The difference is really in the strength of their jaws as to the severity of the bite. This is a horrible situation which, unfortunately, should never have happened. Sounds like even owning that dog was illegal because of the wolf part, and secondly, no infant should ever be left with access to a dog. I have 2 large dogs and a young child, and I can tell you that we have been very vigilant ever since she was born to not allow her to be alone with the dogs, and also to teach her how to treat them. Dogs DO operate on instinct, and they do not have the ability to reason as humans do. This is such a tragedy, and I will be praying for the baby and the mother and hope they can recover. So sad. : (
I already knew it would be a pit bull before I even read the article. Now I am waiting for all the pit bull owners to come forward – as they always do – and defend the most worthless dog on the planet – a pit bull.
The headlines starts with Pit bull !
Guess what, Bill, any large dog can be dangerous if not properly trained and supervised. The best dog I ever had was a Staffordshire Terrior, A/K/A “Pit Bull’. Your post is your opinion, but I have to disagree.
Met a lot of great pit bulls but the bad ones were killers, period. We had one kill two cows in my town (probably a great pet though!)
I almost got shredded by one whose threadbare rope leash held. Nothing but teeth thrashing. Scarier than the bears that I’ve treed.
The assault weapon of the dog world.
My God! Why on earth would you lump every dog in an entire breed together as evil killers? There are bad and dangerous dogs of every breed — in particular those with irresponsible owners. This dog was crossed with a WOLF! But the fault lies in the Pit Bull genes? Geez. Have a little sense.
Ignorance is why.
I suppose you think German Shephards and Rotweillers are better?
Don’t blame the dog or the baby. It’s the humans that allowed two powerful breeds to mate. It’s humans that made that baby and it was humans that were not watching the child. You know it is bad when you have to have a law that makes illegal to smoke in a car that has children in it…that should be a no brainer to people that have an ounce of common sense.
You once again are very wrong. You and I seem to go round often on here. I own a pitt/boxer mix. Very loving dog. He reasons well, listens very well, very smart and figures things out, follows me around the house and wants attention constantly, sleeps with me and my husband every night because he loves to cuddle and does not like to be left by himself. He is a very active dog, and requires a lot of attention. He does have a very strong bite and you must be careful how you play with him.We do not wrestle with him, for instance, but we will use a rope toy to play tug of war because we do not want him to ever confuse what type of behavior is okay and not okay when playing. I have said this before and will say so again… ALL DOGS CAN BITE. The problem here is that the only dog bite/mauling/killing stories that ever seem to be presented are media sensationalized pitt bull stories. People who cannot reason for themselves (and judging by these comments in this forum there are quite a few) tend to perpetuate the sensationalism and focus their opinion based on the story they read in the paper. Think Bill, think for yourself. Are you against the breed because they can inflict more damage IF they bite, or are you foolish enough to believe that ALL WILL inflict damage? I can respect ONE of those choices…and one I cannot. One thing I cannot agree with or tolerate in comments are the comments that call for banning or outlawing the breed. The breed is not the problem.
Let’s see. Pit bull pretty much equals a killer dog at some point. True, some of them don’t kill but why take the chance? Why not just get a lab? I know a lot of you think I’M the one who is wrong on that. And a wolf is a known killer. So let’s breed the two, if that is possible, and keep it as a house pet. What wonderful common sense.
Known killer? No healthy wolf has EVER killed a human being in the United States. That is A FACT. Look it up. And I see you’ve bought into the media hype that a subspecies of dog is more prone to “killing” than others? Maybe it’s the owners or bloodlines that should be discontinued instead of the entirety of the breed? Bull terriers and bulldogs used to do the same thing as pit bulls in the past. But they’ve had the “fight” bred OUT of them. We didn’t just kill them all because they were “all bad”. Have some sense.
Wolves killed a school teacher in Alaska in 2010, and killed a 22 yr. student in Canada in 2005. This is a FACT I looked up.
I said United States, learn to read. And Alaska is not part of the connected United States.
Last I checked, Alaska was in the United States. Just because it’s not connected to the contiguous 48 doesn’t mean it’s not in the US.
Neither is Hawaii, by the way.
You didn’t say “connected United States” lean to write. But there has been a bunch of kids killed by pit bulls.
Wolves, healthy, have been known to attack women and children. True, it’s mostly rabid wolves who attack just men, I guess. So you’re defending “sick” wolves who do the attacking. Generally you can’t tell during an attack if it’s sick or not. I’d rather not find out the hard way. I don’t condone killing wolves but you’re off the subject-pit bulls. You actually believe you can breed the “fight” out of them? I bet you believe in the tooth fairy, too.
Oh yeah? There are only two recorded fatal, wild wolf attacks in US history. And one of them was discovered after the fact and it is unknown the cause of why the person was killed.
We sure bred the fight out of Bulldogs and Bull Terriers, why not Pit Bulls as well? How are they any different from any other breed? What about Akitas? They’re bred to be “killers”, too. Killers of dogs, mind you, not people.
Earlier you said no healthy wolf as EVER killed a human. Now you’re saying there was two. You don’t even know what you’re talking about.
Now how are you proving that you’ve bred the fight out of bulldogs and bull terriers? How do you measure that? Maybe put them in cage and see if they attack each other? How long does it take to breed the fight out of a dog? Really, you believe that? I don’t think a vicious Akita will make the distinction of it attacking another dog or person. Whatever is nearby will work.
I said “no healthy wolf”.
And I think you’ve never met any of the breeds mentioned in this topic. Have you SEEN what bulldogs look like? And you think it’ll just up and kill another dog or person? Ha.
No, I don’t. But under circumstances neither of us are aware of, they might. And I said an unhealthy wolf seems to have attacked two men while healthy wolves have been known to attack women and children. Less threatening targets. I’m sitting in a room, right now, with a french bulldog. It seems very docile, has been very docile but you never know when my 2 year old granddaughter is going to get bit.
Subject: [bdn] Re: Pit bull-wolf hybrid attacks infant, mother in Livermore Falls
He was such a nice dog, He wouldn’t hurt flea. We know this because whe had him penned up in the other room. We love him. We had him here to protect the family.. Please don’t put him down we love him… How much more junk will we hear about how good a dog these mixed killer breeds are…
We won’t see any comments about how “loving” and “calm” pit bulls are in this forum; people who defend pit bulls generally aren’t intelligent enough to read.
Yeah, keep spamming this sentence, and some day it will be true. Not.
That has to be the most idiotic comment on here so far. I have met many very well behaved, well trained and easy going Pits. Folks that blame the breed are the ones that are ignorant.
Do we ever suggest that all people are murderous sociapaths when we read in the news that someone has killed a person or many other people? No because you just can’t lump one bad act into a general blanket statement about the entire species.
I bet you get mad when people judge you unfairly. That would be ironic.
Hey, don’t use me as an example of irony! Well, I never….!
People who make comments like yours generally aren’t intelligent enough to think.
Hmmm, I think I see what you’re getting at there… but I’m not quite sure. No, I definitely understood. At least I think I did.
Several years ago there was a big bruhaha over whether insurance companies were going to classify labradors as “viscious” dogs, thus negating your homeowner’s if you owned one. They were doing this because labradors had been responsible for a very large number of bites that were reported to the police.
Just think of it, our beloved labs labeled as dangerous dogs.
This was because at the time, and still, labs are one of the most popular breeds. (as pits are now) More dogs, more bites. Thankfully cooler heads prevailed and the labs reputation as a gentle loving breed remained intact.
Pits can be aggressive, no doubt. But like every single breed or type of animal, every one is different. I have met pits that I did not trust and should only have been kept in a carefully closed area, never around children or other animals and owned only by someone trained in dog handling. I am privilaged now to own a pit cross rescue. He turns himself into a pretzel everytime he sees another dog or person and usually wets himself as well. He won’t even bite his fleas.
I also owned a wolf hybrid many years ago, with a low wolf to dog ratio. She was the sweetest most docile canine I have ever owned. But, that said, she did not behave like a dog. Which could have been problematic for someone who could not understand the difference.
We really have to stop blaming dogs, of any breed, for the mistakes of their owners.
O h geeeze….What a surprise.
It is always the same thing with these Pitbulls……they maul someone to death….usually a small child and the most common response by the owner is “I can’t understand it, he never done that before”…..that don’t help the people having to make funeral arrangements……what is wrong with having a black Lab instead?……ban the pitbull.
A HORRIFIED mum last night told how her three-year-old son was savaged by a black labrador during a family picnic in the park.
Logan Trim screamed in agony as he suffered appalling face wounds in the shock attack.
He was rushed to hospital and given 40 stitches — but could still be left scarred for life.
Mum Lara Slingsby, 22, had taken Logan to Whitecliff Park in Poole, Dorset, for a day out with his baby brother and her parents.
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3640640/Horrified-mum-tells-how-her-son-3-was-savaged-by-black-lab-during-a-family-picnic-in-the-park.html#ixzz2FKMpS5YY
You are dead wrong. Labs and Golden Retrievers are high up on the bite list, too. Morons who shouldn’t have ANY pets get pit bulls because they like the stigma the dogs have. They don’t know ANYTHING about the breed. And then this happens. Why you would leave an infant with ANY dog I have no idea.
Labs and golden retrievers are in fact much higher on the bite list than pitbulls but they in general do not cause anywhere near the damage the pitbull does.
They do as much DAMAGE? You’ve got to be joking. An attack is an attack no matter what breed. Stop stereotyping.
You can’t fix stupid!!
Not all pitbulls are mean dogs. We have had one for 3 years now and she is the mellowest dog you would ever meet. She has NEVER even shown a sign of aggression. We also have a full blooded Akita which is also a mellow dog (also been known for being an aggressive breed) . Both of which rarely even bark (only when someone knocks on the door). The reason that you always see pitbulls in the headlines is because they have been labeled by society as a mean breed (and who wants their name on an article saying that someone was attacked by a smaller breed (which does happen)….look at how many other dogs have had the same reputation…rotties, dobermans, german shepherds….they have all been labeled as mean breeds in the past also, but people seem to forget about that. Any dog can be mean, it is all on how they are raised and taken care of. You can’t judge a dog OR anything else by something that you read….UNLESS you know the whole story and background behind it.
She has never shown aggression-YET. Why take the chance? Why would you have a dog in your house that is known to be an aggressive breed-the Akita? The dog doesn’t tell you “well I’m going to bite the hell out of you next Tuesday”. Have you noticed you rarely see a doberman, shepherd, or rottie biting someone? It’s almost exclusively pit bulls or some variation of. It is NOT all on how they were raised. It’s in their DNA and you can’t see that or change that.
..
Ok, let’s define “bite” versus “maul”. Big difference.
Subject: [bdn] Re: Pit bull-wolf hybrid attacks infant, mother in Livermore Falls
Not true. You just see pitt bulls reported in the media more often. I bet there are more bites daily by other breeds. It isnt that they ‘rarely’ bite someone, its just that it is more often not reported by the news. Imagine if every dog bite was reporteddaily by the news. Most reports would NOT be pitt bulls. All 3 of the dogs you mentioned have had their share of media sensationalism in the past as was pointed out by WPOND. Reporting is not about truth, its about personal spin, politically slanted articles, sensationalism, drama, whatever sells. I suppose reporting “125 people were bitten by chihuahuas today across the United States” isnt as eye catching as one pitt bull bite because its more gory to report the pitt bull attack, and gore and death sell. Most people have no interest in hearing about good things outside of their very own personal world. But throw a little gore in there and WOW they pay attention.
ya, the media always covers up all of the killer golden retriever attacks.
In Ridgeville, S.C., a 2-month-old baby boy left unattended in a swing was attacked and dismembered by the family dog on Friday. His father, Quintin McGrew, and a 3-year-old child were in another part of the mobile home while the baby was mauled by the golden retriever-Labrador mix the family had adopted just weeks before.
I was responding to the person who said the media covers up other breed dog attacks.
I wouldnt say they cover it up, they just dont give it the same attention
we also have to remember the media doesn’t do a very good job at breed identification. and the term pittbull is just that a term. 13+ fall under that term
Well good for you. This is about crossbreeding, interbreeding and the red flags prior to the incidident. One would assume that if your dog displayed signs of aggression that you remove your dog before your child is mauled.Which is worth more to you ……….your dog or your child?????
‘the reason you always see pitbulls in the headlines’ is because irresponsible owners underestimate the animal they bring into their home. Show me one article in the past year that any other breed has caused this damage. every 4-5 weeks another pitbull and another childs face. over and over. and yet we still hear the pitbull owners cry its not the breed. WAKEUP
Here ya go: http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16645526/dog-trainers-say-even-medical-service-dogs-can-attack
And another one: http://www.vindy.com/news/2012/feb/16/3-day-old-baby-bitten-dog-western-pa/
There are several, look them up.
Yes other dogs do attack and sometimes cause serious injury but you still hear about pitbulls more often because they in fact do the most damage. Other dogs bite much more often but with usually not even close to the damage a pit bull does. And to cross it with a wild animal like the wolf? That is simply complete stupidity.
Should try breeding a pit bull with a tiger or lion and then call it the best family breed.
Poor kid.
Pitbull-Wolf/hybrid-Baby……………You people are very, very stupid.
Any dog can bite. Maybe a pit bull-wolf hybrid is NOT the dog to have with a little child. You would think they would have noticed signs of aggression before this attack and made every effort to keep the dog away from people. Especially a child.
May I suggest a gentle dog like mine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQIBRhnFloE
(2 years ago) We have this Pit Bull here and it is real nasty. You know what we should do? Breed it with a Wild Wolf. That is really going to be a wonderful family dog. There will never be a problem with this animal ever.
We had wolf hybrids my whole life growing up and also had pitbulls, never mixed though. Both types were the picture perfect pets with never an issue. Blame the owners for ways dogs lash out. Dogs are not born nasty, sorry but that is SO not true. I’d be more concerned with why it was quarntined, possibly having to do with the attack?
Dogs can be born nasty just as some humans can.
I hope child protective services is looking into this. What mother leaves a 1 year old alone with a quarantined dog in the next room? disgusting.
Notice there are no comments from people defending pit bulls or hybrids? You hear from them all the time. But you won’t see them writing any comments in this article.
That’s because people who defend pit bulls are generally people who aren’t smart enough to read.
Oh yeah? Well here I am. Pit bulls and other “type” breeds are amazing animals. But people who don’t know jack about them should not have them. I wouldn’t leave a small child with any dog, because CHILDREN often provoke animals, and they defend themselves. And don’t try to deny it. We were all children once.
Children provoke animals so you’re saying it’s the fault of the one year old? You’ve got problems.
No, I didn’t say that this specific child is to blame. I said I would never leave ANY child alone with ANY dog, because things happen. Not supervising your one year old child, especially when you have an animal supposedly “quarantined” just sounds idiotic to me.
Any dog can be dangeous if left alone with a child.I have very small dogs and wouldnt consider leaving them with a child.That being said,a wolf hybrid is a dangerous animal.To deliberatly breed with a pitbull,is just asking for trouble.To have it with a child is tempting fate,and to keep it after it has been quarantined,is just plain idiotic.However,a baby has been injured,and that is the tragedy.
To all those people who have these breeds of dog and constantly say it is”all how you raise the animal”, pitbulls, mastifs, rotties these animals are bred and bought because they are aggressive, territorial, intimidating, and yes they are beautiful (so are tigers, but I don’t want one around my kids), these dogs are NOT good dogs to have around children, they are unpredictable! Stop putting these breeds of animal in homes with small children just to prove a point that “see they are good family pets”, I’ve heard so many stories of these dogs just snapping one day, had the dog for 8yrs never even growled at the kids, don’t know why the dog attacked!! When you get these dogs you’re playing russian roullett with your kids lives, and your own!! They are great dogs if you are single, need one for protection, and understand the breed and what it is capable of other wise it is like letting your child play with a loaded gun. And before anyone says it I know ALL dogs have the potential to bite, but all I can say is some dogs are like toy cap guns and others are M16s. Please be sensible when picking out a pet cute or pretty doesn’t make it the right pet!!!
I thank you for not spouting foolishness about banning the breed and instead having an intelligent opinion that can be respected as it appears to be well thought. I find the theme of your opinion to be more about matching the characteristics and capabilities of the breed with the proper owner. All dogs DO have the potential to bite, CAN bite, and WILL bite if it feels the urge to for whatever reason or no reason at all. So can we all, dogs and humans alike. And I am a pitt owner, however, I am a responsible owner. I do not have small children and I can think of only 3 or 4 instances in the last 8 years that I have actually had a small child in my home. I would NEVER allow them alone time with my dog and I trust him. You are right, some are like cap guns and some are like M16s. Doesnt make one more evil than the other. It just means perhaps one should be treated more carefully than the other.
Oh this is awful!!! I hope the child recovers. Another newspaper didn’t go into as much detail as this… so sad.
they can only tell you what they hear. listen to the news on tv instead if you want more info.. if your lucky enough..
DHS should be alerted…
why???? you or i or anyone eles don’t know what happened in that home except from what you all read in the news paper. what about the mother who fought off the dog to save her child??? don’t judge.
That mother should NOT have had an illegal dog in her home to begin with, wolf hybrids are illegal in Maine.
What about the mother that had that bloody dog there in the first place. Could she really have been so ignorant not to know that both of those breeds are dangerous?
“But…..but…….MY pit bull would never do such a thing!”
Why am I “not” suprised?? :/
All Pitt bulls should all be gotten rid of. Most of the stories you read about dog attacks involves Pitt bulls.
Punish the deed, not the breed. People who shouldn’t have dogs in the first place are the problem. Animals are not born evil. Don’t discriminate and don’t fall for the lies that the media feeds you about them.
the breed is the problem, these dogs were bread for killing many, many, many years ago and it stays in the blood line. just like birds dogs seek out birds with just a little tranning, pitbulls kill with very little tranning. the reason why drug dealers like them is because of whats bread into them. yes it should be against the law to have one of these dogs in a home with children, how many times have we heard of a collie attack or lab attack, it’s almost always a pitbull or a rock…my 2 cents worth
“tranning” and “bread”? Learn to spell.
Yeah, my grandfather’s pit bull Prince that he’s had for 14 years, he’s just a killer. Doesn’t swim in the pool with my younger, toddler cousins or sleep with my grandfather at the foot of his bed every night. Don’t be discriminatory towards certain breeds, just like you wouldn’t be discriminate against certain races, because discrimination towards an entire group is WRONG.
Pit bulls are simply dangerous. It’s not that they bite often, you’re far more apt to get bit by a shepherd or lab than you are a pit bull BUT you’re far more apt to be killed or disfigured with a pit bull than a shepherd or lab. Face it, these animals are dangerous period.
Link me to the scientific study you read that proves those “facts”, please. ‘Cause it REALLY sounds like you just pulled that out of nowhere.
There are many studies out there about concerning the danger of these dogs. You might try here though. Also simply do a web search on dog attacks. http://www.dog-bite-law-center.com/pit_bull_attacks.html You can also look up studies by the CDC which shows disproportionate injury and death by these dogs. I suspect you won’t bother because you’d rather “believe” these dogs aren’t dangerous rather than do any reading about them.
a rock?
It wasnt a rock.It was a ROCK LOBSTER!Down down down down…
Seriously? you have made my point in previous comments I have made. Let me point it out for you… “most of the stories you read….” You seriously base your opinions on only the stories you read in the newspaper??
From the comments on down from Lisa Pilot comment almost ever comment changed to guns. Can’t readers stay on the subject of the article. .
Why is there no mention or any remarks by the child’s father? In fact the term father is absent from the report but “parents” is in plural.
Let me ask you this, why is it that everytime some thing happens to a child, you people say that , well i hope dhs in called. why do you judge?? we don’t know what goes on in that home. she helped her child by fighting off the dog. but i don’t see anyone saying or asking how the mom is. I understand that the dog was locked up in a room or should of been put eles where. but you people have to stop judging other people, you are not the law, stop acting like one. just my thoughts on this, that’s all. i just hope the child and mom are doing well.
I hope they are doing well too. I also hope the mother and father are chaged as I said above. To keep this type of cross-breed around a young child is not much different to giving that child a loaded gun. It is shear stupidity.
I am a pitt bull owner (and for whoever said it yes I can read) and I have been working with bully breeds for almost 10 years. If this is accurate on breeds I do not know who in their right mind would cross breed this kind of animal. Pitt bull breeds are a huge responsibility and are not meant for a beginner. They are powerful, energetic, and if you are dealing with a rescued one yes there can be serious behaviors issues that need worked with and that takes someone with experience. I won’t get into the whole arguement of whether the pitt bull breeds make a good family member. I’ll just leave it at the right family and the right pitt make an awesome pair. It’s about finding the right match and for a lot of people the bully breeds aren’t it, but that doesn’t make these dogs demons.
What does make these dogs demons is the amount of damage the do when they attack. Personally I think the parents of this child should be charged with child-endangement. I simply cannot fathom why anyone would have such a cross-breed in their house let alone with a small child.
you are correct they can do damage and that is why i advocate for responsible ownership. but, just because these dogs have the capabilities of this does not make them demons or evil. all animals bite and we have to respect that and make informed decisions on the animals we bring home. this family obviously didn’t do that, and i hope this doesn’t leave lasting effects upon the child. our media has not helped with teaching at all and people pick a “cool” breed because they saw it on tv or in the paper.
Very well said. Thank you.
it’s my job as a human
Leaving a 1 year old alone with any dog is just plain stupid.Just…stupid..
Would someone in Augusta PLEASE put forth a bill requiring parents to be licensed before they can have children? How much more stupid can a human being be?
Dogs are not responsible for biting people.
People who own dogs are responsible for the dogs who bite people.
Anyone who comes to take away my dog will have to pry him from my dead, cold hands.
The humble Farmer
Let’s hope it’s not the dog that creates those dead cold hands.
if your dog attacked me or my loved ones I would kill it. if you tried to stop me you would be next. that being said if you dog is friendly and kind then we can get along fine. thats my policy for all.
Calm down,Fah’mah,no ones gonna take yer schitzhu away from you and mutha’!
Theses breeds should be done away with like it or not.
Why the heck would they quarantine a dog at the owners house?. Seems more appropriate at a kennel.
I hope the baby and mom come out of this OK.
IDIOTS, PITBULLS AND WOLFS DONT BELONG AROUND ANYONE. PERIOD!
OMG!! If a one year old can “peer over” the door I’m sure the dog could have jumped over it if it was provoked or felt danger. Who in their right minds would have a hybrid wolf-pit bull mix around a baby? These people that bring innocent children into this rotten world need to have just a little common sense and their child would have been spared. Where was the father?
I can see the appeal of having a family pet..but REALLY??
I don’t care what breed you think is docile versus aggressive, no pet should ever be left alone with small children.
Thank you.
OMG, Pit bull-wolf hybrid…WHAT THE H#LL did you think might happen???
But,but,but the wonderful sweet gentle disposition of the pit bull should have knocked out any bad genetic trends towards eating small critters,like the wolf NATURALLY does,right?
more fine dog owners from Liverless Falls
I am glad it happened to the dog owner and kid not someone elses kid, these white trash folks probably can’t even afford liability insurance.
You should be quiet more often. I find it pretty offensive that you would refer to anyone as ‘white trash folks.’
sorry, I am a self hating white trash folk!!
Cats are a better choice.For everything…
Oh look……another pit bull mauling. Are any of us REALLY surprised here? What Einstein came up with a pit/wolf hybrid? They should be taken out behind the barn and………well you know. Sweet baby Jesus please watch over this baby and help him/her not to be psychologically scarred for the rest of his/her life.
If the Animal Control officer did the proper thing and took the dog into quarantine in a town kennel this would have never happened… WHO would quarantine a dog in their own home.
Very good point, and my thought as well. If the animal control officer was there and wanted the dog quarrantined, I wonder why that reason was not reported because the fact that it was even mentioned leads one to believe that it would be relevant to the story.
And who do you suppose is paying for the “reconstructive surgery”?
Who cares? I would gladly help pay for any child… But that sentiment right there is one of the things wrong in our society, unwillingness to help or assist another…pfft.
Really, was it worth the risk?
Dog breed has nothing to do with attacks. Training or lack thereof do. Simple as that.
right. And although yes, a poodle may bite me, I am sure it won’t rip off my face. Dog breed- in particular Pits- have everything to do with this .
Wolf hybrids are much more dangerous than wolves. Wolves have a natural fear of man, and only a starving wolf or a rabid wolf will attack a human. Wolf hybrids have enough dog in them to make them unafraid of people. I do not know what the laws are in regard to owning them, but legal or not, it is a very bad idea.
read the story in the sun journal because this story has many false statements the grandmother and child are doing well it was a tragic event i just want people to know the truth.the dog was not a pitbull/hybrid
if you want to read the truth go to the Frankin/Sun journal
just so everyone knows it wasn’t a pitt bull or a hybrid it was an American bull dog/husky and both grandmother and child are doing great
Probably a responsible gun owner as well.
This story really needs to be removed from the news feed on your page. You have already reported the accurate story and curious as to why this one hasn’t been removed or even a note that this original story was false.