Mother: Ferret, not pit bull, gnawed off baby's toes (I am speechless)

The Dallas Morning News / The Associated Press ^ | 12/20/06 | Associated Press

[paulat]

Mother: Ferret, not pit bull, gnawed off baby's toes

BENTON, La. – The parents of a month-old girl whose toes were gnawed off while they slept apparently disagree about whether the culprit was their ferret or their 6-week-old pit bull.

Mary Hansche, 22, told KTBS-TV on Tuesday that she thinks it was the ferret. "The way the bite marks were on her foot. The ferret being out of its cage. I knew it wasn't the dog," she said.

[snip]

"We were told that the puppy had blood on its fur. But when the officers arrived there, the animal did not have blood on its mouth," he said.

Natale said which animal did it won't affect charges against the Hansches, who were booked Dec. 10 on charges of child desertion and criminal negligence and remained jailed Wednesday in lieu of $50,000 bond each.

[snip]

Their daughter has been released from the hospital and is in state custody.

The Hansches were asleep on a mattress on the floor and the baby in a carrier next to the mattress when her cries woke them, police have said. They were not tested for alcohol or drugs, since such tests would not be needed to prove the charges, Natale said Wednesday.

Defense attorney Pam Smart said she is waiting for results of a hair analysis to back up the couple's statement that they were not using drugs.

[snip]

She also said their bonds are too high for misdemeanors. A bond reduction hearing is scheduled next month.

Both pets were released from quarantine but will remain in the Bossier City animal shelter until the court case is over, Natale said. Either the court or the city may decide their fate, he said.

[B-Chan]

Rude? How could my comment have been rude? I only mentioned your dogs. Dogs have no sense of decorum and thus no concept of rudeness.

[ShandaLear]

Bilson's scared of hunting dog beagle attack
Sunday May 7, 12:10 PM
By WENN

The OC star Rachel Bilson has a morbid fear of beagles after one of the dogs tried to rip her face off when she was a child.

The actress, 24, has a scar on her upper lip to remind her of her encounter with the savage mutt when she was just three.

She says, "I hate them (beagles) and I'm not afraid to say the word 'hate'."

But Bilson isn't afraid of all dogs - her constant companion is a pit-bull terrier, which was a gift from her boyfriend and The OC co-star Adam Brody.

She admits the canine birthday gift was a real test for her because she feared she would be terrified of her new pet.

She adds, "Last year (05) Adam showed up with this big pit bull and said, 'Happy birthday! Here's your dog! Her name is Penny!'

"I was, like, 'Let me get this straight. You picked out my dog. It's a pit bull.'"

The actress quickly warmed to her new companion, which she renamed Penny Lane.

[Poser]

"I am not asking for "numbers." What I am asking for, over and over, is to prove that pits are human-aggressive by nature. "

I cited about 50,000 incidents where pits were human-agressive. You are in denial.

[Patriotic1]

You might try petfinder.com - people give up goldendoodles just like they give up any other dog. Buddy of mine got a toy rat terrier from a shelter - saved himself big $$$.

[pandoraou812]

Thanks, I heard they were ending up in shelters. I would rather get one nobody wants then by one. Now I just have to break the news to my husband...he is going to say are you completely out of your mind again??? Six dogs, I'm leaving. lol I plan to check them out more and see if they would get along with my shih tzus.

[Trust but Verify]

I can settle this. Forget about dogs, cats are where it's at. Just look at theses handsome fellows!!

[justshutupandtakeit]

Insurance companies will make them unaffordable. There is no need for government involvement.

[Comstock1]

I had to check to make sure this wasn't my wife's family, because she has relatives in Benton (nice little town actually).

I just think that people who own pitbulls are either wanting to project some idiot macho image or are deluding themselves that they are as safe as dachshunds.

Point in case: my wife works with a woman who runs a pitbull rescue organization. Twice this year she has had to miss work because either her husband or another family member has been injured when the dogs misbehaved. Yet, she still goes on about what loving animals they are.

Plus, they are stupid. I used to work as a manager for a guy who set up fireworks tents and stands along the gulf coast. He had a pitbull that twice attacked an employee. The dog was killed when it chased a moving semi- truck and bit into the front tire and got thrown under the other wheels. It bit into the tire deep enough to puncture it before it was thrown.

There are hundreds of dog breeds in this world. This one won't be missed.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

I am not asking for "numbers." What I am asking for, over and over, is to prove that pits are human-aggressive by nature.

BOTH the available statistics on dog attacks AND anecdotal evidence say that pit bulls ARE human-aggressive. The burden of proof is on YOU, to prove that they are NOT.

So prove it, then.

As far as my own personal experience goes, our neighbors had a pit bull that was raised by a kind family from a puppy. And he was schizophrenic as hell. He finally had to be put down before he decided that either her child or one of ours "tasted like chicken." We could all see it coming. It was only a matter of time, and it was him or one of us.

So my own personal experience proves to me BEYOND ANY DOUBT that yes, at least some pit bulls ARE INHERENTLY HUMAN-AGGRESSIVE AND VERY, VERY DANGEROUS.

And there's no way you can prove me wrong. Because those are simply the facts.

[kcvl]

Could they get any more comfortable?! lol!

[kcvl]

Mary Hansche has a MySpace page...


http://tinyurl.com/y2a6ls

[Ditter]

A lot of dogs that are not human aggressive, will attack children because they don't see them as human. They they think they are just another animal because they are down on the dogs level, eye to eye.

[Trust but Verify]

Well, on cold nights, they do sleep under the covers with us! They are Burmese cats, well known for being a lot like dogs, but we don't have to worry about them biting the mailman or Jimmy from next door!

[GOPPachyderm]

Aw come on, it was a puppy!

[GOPPachyderm]

Six-week old puppies still have their milk teeth. How could a puppy just barely away from its mommy bite a toe off?

[July4th64]

I find it difficult to believe that a six week old dog of any kind would bite the toes off of a baby.

Six week old puppies are little more than babies themselves. About all they do is sleep. They can barely walk and see straight.

[GOPPachyderm]

I hope you don't mind me chiming in here. Apparently the question is whether the incidents you refer to are due to nature or nuture. Were they going against their nature when they were aggressive?

[paulat]

I find it difficult to believe that a six week old dog of any kind would bite the toes off of a baby.

I can't say...but all evidence points to the ferret.

[pandoraou812]

Your cats are sooooooooo beautiful!!! ~~Pandora~~

[pandoraou812]

More pit bulls were put down then any other dog when I worked in the shelter. If a puppy came in sometimes they would be able to adopt it IF the right family came along. Sometimes the young adults that were family raised went out too but not usually. Our shelter was very careful about letting just anyone adopt them. Most of our pits got there because we were called out to rescue them from abuse. Usually they were just put to sleep because they were past being able to rehabilitate. Thats why I blame owners and not just pit owners for the way their pet turns out. When you force an animal to become mean , you never know who it will turn on. These people wouldn't understand that someday it would have been them that got chewed to shreds.