~This~ coming from the guy who swipes and does nefarious things to my photos!
[That still cracks me up. I should send it to his breeder with "OMG!!!! *What* did you sell me?!?" attached]....;-D
Posted on 04/21/2010 10:46:49 PM PDT by Chet 99
5-year-old mauled by pit bull in Hurricane
April 20, 2010
HURRICANE -- Many owners of American pit bull terriers say the dogs get a bad rap, that they can be as sweet as any other breed and can make great family pets. But if a pit bull attacks, one Utah mother says the results can be devastating.
A pit bull mauled Katie Weeks' 5-year-old daughter, Saleena Wickward, in Hurricane Monday night. The little girl is now recovering from reconstructive facial surgery.
"She's already asked her mom for a mirror, and we're waiting on that," Weeks says.
Right now, Saleena's face only resembles what she used to look like: swelling, stitches and staples consume her innocent face.
"I was so afraid to walk into that room and see my little girl because I just thought she would never look the same again," Weeks says.
But she says her daughter already looks better than she did right after the attack.
It happened Monday night in Hurricane around 5:30. Weeks says her daughter wandered to the next yard over to catch a caterpillar.
According to the dog owner, Saleena was throwing rocks at the pit bull. Then, it lunged at her face.
"The dog was on a chain, but he grabbed her and didn't let go," Weeks says.
The owner had to pry the jaws off of Saleena's head. Neighbors called 911.
Saleena stayed conscious while waiting for an ambulance.
"We got a towel and pushed the skin up against her, and just wrapped it around and held it there until 911 got there, and just rocked her and tried to comfort her the best we could," Weeks says.
At Dixie Regional Medical Center, the 5-year-old had six and a half hours of reconstructive surgery. Two plastic surgeons helped put Saleena's face back together.
Stitches go from the middle of her lip, to her nose and cheek, then around her ear. A plate and screw are stabilizing her fractured cheek.
Now, doctors and family members will have to wait to see if there's any nerve damage. In the meantime, weeks says her emotions are all over the place.
"Fear, hope, more prayers than I've ever said in my life," she says.
The dog owner didn't want to comment. Weeks doesn't place blame on the owner. She says the dog had played with her kids before.
Hurricane police say the pit bull is with animal control.
>Most people are unaware that “hugging” mimics the “dominance mounting” that dogs do to each other to display pack rank.
It is, in every dog’s primal mind, an act of aggression and challenge.
Some dogs, having been “cuddled” all their lives permit it.
Others react exactly the way they’re wet-wired to do so.
Snip...
Ironically, dogs can learn to “speak our language” quite easily.
It is we who [usually] cannot understand theirs.<
And this is exactly why, when you read dog bite accounts, the people involved insist the child did nothing to provoke the dog to bite.
Note to knee jerkers - in no way am I saying a bitten child trying to show affection to a dog should be held accountable. The dog owner is ultimately at fault for allowing the innocent party access to his animal, and for not controlling the dog’s behavior.
The adults involved are accountable. Parents must teach their children not to mess with strange dogs, or dogs that do not belong to their immediate family. Euthanizing the dog after the fact or suing the owner does nothing to erase an innocent child’s injuries.
Thank you, my chivalrous knight.
She’s one of ours, now....:)
Oh, lord.
What *are* we gonna do with you?....LOL
And here are some good sites on that very subject.
[take special note of the last link...you’ll be surprised]
What your DOG is saying to YOU:
http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/pdfs/dogs/DogBodyLanguage.pdf
http://www.wagntrain.com/BodyLanguage2.htm
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/kids-and-pets/caninebody_language.pdf
What YOU are saying to your DOG:
http://www.petplace.com/dogs/what-does-your-body-language-say-to-your-dog/page1.aspx
hey Sal.....thanks for the really nice intro.
Welcome cardboardcutout and keep an eye on Salamander as she steals cookies and blames it on the dogs!
My pleasure...:)
Shoot the dogs. Hang the owners.
I did it by telling my kids they'd get a spanking for it. They're VERY respectful of other people's dogs. :-)
Norway’s Turid Rugaas is the go-to person on interpretation of doggy body language:
http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DTB527
~This~ coming from the guy who swipes and does nefarious things to my photos!
[That still cracks me up. I should send it to his breeder with "OMG!!!! *What* did you sell me?!?" attached]....;-D
Time-tested.
Almost my dad’s exact words.
[but a little more roughed up]....LOL
Want!!!
/runs off to see if Amazon has it
Here's some wet and sloppy for you!
Great idea! He can drive at night while I snooze...
That’s what you have to do...In a perfect world, with every dog calm, obedient, and leashed, a child can still find a way to get bitten; you have to take responsibility for their behavior every single second they’re around a strange dog.
I (foolishly) took my three year old to the dog park and she was knocked down and jumped on by a puppy...It pissed me off, but I knew it was my fault. I apologized to the owner (I think that confused him) and we left.
“but if you get a breed that has strong prey drive you should be prepared and responsible.”
Ibizan Hounds are the ultimate hunting dog.
You just go wait in a field, empty-handed and they bring back your supper.
However, if something ‘fun’ runs by, they go completely “deaf” to your screaming, hence the need for 6 foot, extremely secure fences.
My house looks like a fort and I walk the yard like a prison warden, scanning for perimeter flaws....:)
The dog is clean but the kid is a mud puppy.
What kind of operation are you running down there?.....:))
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.