Sad story.
Yeah, my sheltie would have ripped his leg off. And my neighbor’s Golden Retriever would have savaged him unmercifully. Right. . .
The caregivers were negligent - getting up just after noon - I would guess druggies.
But the dog was and is dangerous - more so than many breeds, which are more likely to be protective than attack a child that young. Many dogs recognize youngsters across species lines - toddler, kitten, puppy. Herding breeds in particular, but many others share the characteristic.
Nor worth taking a chance.
Children between the age of 1 day old and 12 years old are the victims in 79% of all fatal dog attacks. Children are particularly vulnerable to canine aggression for a number of reasons, the most obvious being their small size and inability to fend off a dog attack.2ibid. pg14-15Toddlers and young children are usually at or just below eye-level with a large-sized dog. It stands to reason that the first bite a dog delivers to a toddler will be in the face or head region. A child's screaming or flailing would more than likely incite an aggressive dog even more, with the child unable to escape the dog.
Another serious vulnerability children have is the inability to recognize or comprehend the significance of an aggressive display by a dog. The vast majority of children(besides infants) killed by dogs are males, aged 2 and 4 respectively (see Chart B). A probable scenario is; upon approaching a dog, particularly a chained dog, the child is given a warning, displayed as either a stiffened position, raised hackles, and/or growl. The toddler, not realizing the implications, continues his approach, and the dog may consider this a challenge or a threat. Chained dogs, having no option to retreat, may lash out at this perceived threat or encroachment.2
I wish people would take seriously the damage that all dogs can do and particularly larger dogs. This required no searching by me, I was listening to the radio when the news of the attack broke...
Child attacked by Golden RetrieverTheStar.com - News - Child attacked by Golden Retriever
March 13, 2007
Tamara Cherry
Staff ReporterA 3-year-old Oshawa girl was taken to The Hospital for Sick Children this afternoon after being bitten in the face by a Golden Retriever.
Emergency crews were called to a home in the Thorton Rd. N. and Rossland Rd. W. area where the youngster was attacked while playing outside with the dog just after 12 p.m., Durham Region police spokesperson Dave Selby said.
"The little girl (was) at the neighbour's house being babysat and the dog (was) at the house being dog-sat," Selby said. "At some point she was bitten in the cheek."
The girl was taken to Oshawa General Hospital but has since been transferred to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children [by air ambulance], said Duty Inspector Scott Burns, adding he's never heard of a dog attack involving a Golden Retriever. While the child's injuries are considered non life-threatening, "it's a serious bite to the face," Selby said. No charges have been laid, but the dog has been seized by animal control, Selby said.
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Some dogs see children as prey. FWIW I was bitten by one of my goldens years ago. She was euthanized that day.