4-Year-Old In Critically Injured In Attack By Family's Dog

News4Jax ^ | 2.17.05

[ambrose]

News4Jax.com

4-Year-Old In Critically Injured In Attack By Family's Dog

POSTED: 3:47 pm EST February 17,

2005

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 4-year-old girl is in critical condition after she was attacked by her family's pit bull Wednesday.

Kaylin Flowers' grandmother said she was playing with the dog in their yard when the the dog snapped, biting the girl on the head, neck and hand.

"She so small. The dog just grabbed her and bit her," Karen Flowers said Thursday. "He slung her and ... dragged her on the ground."

According to the police report, the attack lasted several minutes, the pit bull throwing Kaylin's tiny body around the back yard.

Kaylin was rushed to Shands-Jacksonville, where she had emergency surgery.

"There are no skull fractures at all, but there are teeth marks in the skull," Flowers' said. "She's doing better. She's a fighter."

The family said they don't know why the dog attacked as he had never showed signs of aggression before.

The dog was confiscated by Jacksonville Animal Care and Control, where he will remain for 10 days.

"They are brought here and held in a quarantine area to check temperament and health issues," Animal Control's David DeWitt told Channel 4's Jennifer Bauer.

While all dog breeds have the potential to attack, experts say rottweilers, pit bulls and German shepherds are the most common breeds for deadly attacks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while almost half of all children are bitten by a dog at some point, kids aged 5 to 9 are most at risk for dog attacks. Statistics show that half those attacks occur at home or with a familiar dog.

Copyright 2005 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[The Other Harry]

> Whoever said we were talking about normal well balanced
> dogs? I watched my Jack Russel Terrier stalk and bite my
> 2 year old grandaughter in the neck because the child
> went over and looked into his food dish and then walked
> away.

Hi again, Ditter.

Even my sweet little mutt takes a dim view of anyone getting near his food bowl when he is eating. He has learned to trust me in this regard, but he still doesn't like it. I gained his trust by only going to his bowl to add food, never to remove it.

Kids tend to mess with dog bowls compulsively.

[kanawa]

I used to joke with my family that if they were feeling anxious or depressed to come and rub Sammy's lucky, magic head and they would feel better,

Then I read article about how petting a dog releases chemicals into the bloodstream that make you feel better.

I still think it's magic.

[Ditter]

Hi again Harry! Did I tell you one of my new Jack Russels is named Harry? Only he spells it Hairy because he is not like an JR you ever saw before. He is magnificent! LOL!

[dervish]

Genetics is at least half of it, people. Get real.

I agree that's why I stated that the genetics of Pits are to fight other dogs not people.

Some of what people sometimes expect these dogs to do is be guard dogs, especially because they are very powerful. Some of the people who notoriously train them this way are not the most upstanding citizens and don't know what they are doing.

Also Pits are lousy guard dogs. The do not have the same judgement abilities as guard dogs like German Shepherds. German Shepherds notoriously can look at a scene and discern what is wrong and make a call.

Pits can be trained to attack but no training is going to give them the ability to assess a situation. Training one to attack is like leaving a loaded gun lying around. They are a potent force. Pound for pound they are probably the strongest breed surpassing many several times their weight .

OTOH I think Pits are actually good with children because of another genetic characteristic. One of the reasons they are good at dog fighting is because they have an unusually high pain tolerance. Thus when children hurt them they are less likely to react.

Still no dog should be left unsupervised with young children.

Also an individual animal can be unbalanced. The only dog that ever bit me was a Jack Russell who I later learned had several such "mishaps" as the moronic owner later told me. Some breeds like Cocker Spaniels, I have read, have a genetic defect that causes some to go nuts and attack. I blame the AKC and some poor breeding standards and practices for that.

[dervish]

I have heard of this with infants who actually smell differently, but not about children such as four year olds.

[TexasCajun]

Pit Bulls are so misunderstood! /sarcasm

[TexasCajun]

Pitt Bulls aren't bad dogs.

That attitude is the root of many a family's misery!

[TexasCajun]

There is no reason to own a pit bull other than wanting one.

or having a small penis and thinking your Pit Bull makes you a real man!

[the OlLine Rebel]

I think society now too glibly thinks dogs themselves are never responsible for their own behavior. By responsible, I mean how their built-in character is.

The fact is, there ARE "bad" dogs. Nothing you do will change it.

I cringe every time I see a person say "we got him from a shelter - must've been treated badly". Hello? Do you think maybe he's in the shelter justifiably for doing something nasty as you're experiencing?

This is not to say that some decent dogs haven't felt effects from some poor environment - nor that you cannot mold a somewhat bad dog into a pretty reliable "good" 1.

But the constant blaming of some human - known or unknown - for a dog's character is ridiculous. It is insulting. It is libel or slander. I hate how wise people are - then THEY act STUPID w/such a dog. If you don't know - YOU DON'T KNOW. Stop the excuses.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Pitt Bulls aren't bad dogs. It's the owners who refuse to properly socialize, train, and supervise their dogs. That goes for any breed.

This is nonsense. I raised dogs for 25 years and totally disagree with this philosophy. They're either born good or they're born bad. Training has very little to do with it. For years I indoctrinated puppy buyers that the temperament of parents of a puppy was extremely important and I would NEVER buy a puppy whose parents had questionable temperaments. In fact, a dog with a questionable temperament should NEVER be used for breeding and it's possible they should be destroyed.

[joyhalcyon]

Much of the problem with Pit Bulls come from two things in my opinion -- bad owners and the fact that these are highly powerful animals pound for pound. They are not inherently bad dogs.

 

Pitt Bulls are blemishing the reputation of all fine dogs, no matter the reason for them being outlaws.

When pit bulls fight they grip the object, dog, or child, human being and lock onto them. They have extremely powerful jaw pressure and in many cases are extremely aggressive which is confirmed by the number of people that have been killed by this breed.

There is absolutely no rational reason for 'loyalty' to this particular breed unless it is to be used for what skills and instincts which have been bred into it, dog fighting.

If you want a family dog than get a dog that expresses the good traits for such a doggy job. There are more than enough to choose from.

Why go with a breed that's designed to kill? For dog fights non-the less? The very opposite of what you actually want? If it's about insecurity of some sort, which we'll not go into here, than spend your resources on building your muscles, or brain power, or something which might actually solve your insecurities rather than creating even more problems for you.

This kind of 'loyalty' has nothing to do with the love of dogs. If you truly loved them then you would respect their natural tendency's and instincts and provide the proper environment for them. The other night on the 'dog whisper' he had a little old couple who bought a 100 pound sheep herding dog to live with them in their suburban home, I doubt if either of the couple weighed in at over 100 pounds themselves.

When this dog was very unhappy not being able to go out and run around chasing sheep all day, for which he was bred for, they acted like something was wrong with him, rather than with themselves for not getting a dog who only needed to be walked for a few minuets a day and who would not knock down their fine furnishings, which what they really wanted. This couple had bought the dog to impress their friends, as you might buy  a new fashionable pair of pointed toe shoes, rather than because they loved the dog, or even knew what the dog was.

[joyhalcyon]

Part of the "problem" is that only big dogs generally cause much damage that is *reported*.

I can't tell you how many times the Napolean complex has shown thru on little dogs. Not all - I've known of many nice 1s. Also known quite a few unstable 1s.

It's unworthy of the seriousness of the damage which these dogs cause to equate an aggressive cockapoo to a pit bull's aggressiveness.

The fact is that the pit bulls take lives, I have yet to hear of any cocka poo having any ability to cause anything near such a consequence, no matter the animals intent or owner's ability to control it.

Photos of Injuries Caused by a Dog Bite

Click in Number to enlarge photo and for explanation

#1	#4	#5
#8	#11	#12
#13	#14

 

[dervish]

There is absolutely no rational reason for 'loyalty' to this particular breed unless it is to be used for what skills and instincts which have been bred into it, dog fighting.

I disagree. The same characteristics that make them flawed in your mind make them wonderful companions, playmates, and workers to others.

And how are they tarnishing other dogs since so many seem happy to say what Pits do wrong is unique to them, such as slinging, which in my opinion many (all?) dogs do.

I don't agree they are "outlaws." I simply note that the breed is often misused for "guard duty" to which they are unsuited. APBT, as I prefer to think of them (the UKC designation) have been around a long time in America. Have they always had such problems or did their problems come into being in association with the drug/gang element that was using them inappropriately for their physical strength and tenacity?

Phyical strength and tenacity are also positive attributes.

I hope you don't believe in the myth of the 'jaw lock.' They no more lock than mine does.

[Darnright]

>Some breeds like Cocker Spaniels, I have read, have a genetic defect that causes some to go nuts and attack. I blame the AKC and some poor breeding standards and practices for that.<

I believe you are referring to "rage syndrome" in English Springers. Even so, all the AKC does is keep records of the Stud Book and they sanction dog events such as shows, obedience trials, field (bird dog and hound) trials, etc. The AKC is not breeding 2 dogs that create genetically problematic pups, that's done by ignorant or dishonest breeders.

Fault the greedy, unethical breeders that use the AKC, not the organization. The responsible breeders that use AKC try and eliminate genetic problems. The AKC is not a police organization, nor can it pass laws.

[the OlLine Rebel]

"It's unworthy of the seriousness of the damage which these dogs cause to equate an aggressive cockapoo to a pit bull's aggressiveness.

The fact is that the pit bulls take lives, I have yet to hear of any cocka poo having any ability to cause anything near such a consequence, no matter the animals intent or owner's ability to control it."


I am NOT equating anything as far as damage. That's why generally larger dogs are the only 1s reported and on the lists - they cause more damage.

I don't care how small the dog is, I won't tolerate a vicious 1. I'll kick the hell out of a Chihuahua as much as I would a German Shepherd for turning on me. Vicious is vicious regardless of size, they are unreliable (understatement!) and can cause at least some kind of damage (who knows if they'll turn on you in your sleep? will you bleed to death if they hit the rite artery and have no1 to help you?), and they should not be bred, nor ignored and dismissed as "funny" and "cute".

The truth is the truth - some little dogs' CHARACTERS are just as bad as some big dogs'.

(And incidentally, I'd say the same about cats - I've had a naturally vicious cat - literally rescued and raised her, but she didn't last 2 years. Vicious unreliable possessed beast. Could she kill me? Doubt it, but I wasn't going to continue the pain & suffering any more. Dumped her at the pound cuz I could not w/clear conscience make some1 else her victim.)

[the OlLine Rebel]

"Even so, all the AKC does is keep records of the Stud Book and they sanction dog events such as shows, obedience trials, field (bird dog and hound) trials, etc. The AKC is not breeding 2 dogs that create genetically problematic pups, that's done by ignorant or dishonest breeders.

Fault the greedy, unethical breeders that use the AKC, not the organization. The responsible breeders that use AKC try and eliminate genetic problems. The AKC is not a police organization, nor can it pass laws."


Nice to give the AKC a pass. The problem is they parade around like they are so great at making great dogs. They are not. They do NOTHING to stop bad breeding. Obviously they would have no LEGAL standing - but they WOULD be able to greatly curtail the bad breeding by being STRICT both in shows and in breeding.

The Verien fur Deutsche Schaferhunde (SV - German Shepherd Club, in Germany) is EXTREMELY strict. Not that I don't suspect they are corrupt, or perfect (Lord knows that's no longer true), but their rules are practically from cradle to grave. Their shows are set up so character and work is most important and must be tested - conformation is secondary and comes later after passing the initial stuff. Only dogs who grade to so much level can have their pups registered. That cuts down real fast on how many poor dogs can get thru.

AKC - nor any other all-breed or breed org here - has nothing like this. Nor do they even do much about checking out people whose operations and practices have been alerted.

[dervish]

As I understand the issue, sometimes the AKC breed requirements contribute to undesireable traits since certain genetic traits are linked. Also sometimes requirements which are for "show" do not help or undermine preformance.

Frankly what I find the worst is the AKC breeds and breed requirements that have actually created medical problems such as breathing difficulties in pugs or skin problems in Sharpeis.

And yes, unscrupulous or dumb breeders are a big part of the problem too.

[Darnright]

> Nor do they even do much about checking out people whose operations and practices have been alerted.<

As I said, it's a registry, and doesn't have police powers. AKC is not perfect, and, for what it's worth, as far as temperament goes, any dog that attacks a human on show grounds is disqualified, and if it attacks a dog it can also be severely sanctioned.

AKC is doing more with requiring DNA testing and microchipping, and it does inspect kennels of large breeders.

However, I suppose that in America, a buyer is expected to be pro-active, in requiring proof of OFA, CERF clearances and temperament test certifications on his prospective puppy's parents. If you don't go out and buy a pup on impulse from a pet shop, you can find pups whose breeders can provide documentation that rivals German bred dogs. If you buy a dog from a back yard breeder, you get exactly what you deserve.

[Darnright]

Just wanted to thank you for pointing the way to the website from which those photos came. It's extremely informative. I would encourage people to go spend some time there.

http://www.dogexpert.com/

[joyhalcyon]

thanks, i meant to put that link in the title