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.

[Trust but Verify]

We did have the furniture first, so I guess we got the cats to match it! Seriously, they are great looking wherever they are! Thanks for the compliment. Being owned by a cat doesn't give us the same opportunity to show off our pals as people who are owned by dogs!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[Trust but Verify]

Sounds like you probably have a bunch of beautiful cats as well! We did take a look at Russian Blues when we were looking for a new cat 2 years ago. We really wanted another lap cat after ours died of old age. We somehow settled on the Burmese breed and had only planned on having one. That was before we were hooked. We now have two and would like to add more, it just isn't wise to do so in our situation.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[adopt4Him]

why do so many of you assume my outrage over pitbulls is about being LIBERAL???? you couldn't be further from the truth. there isn't a liberal bone in my body.

so much for your "transparent liberal tactic" idea. And it is actually a very educated point of view that many of us hold about your beloved pit bulls that reek havoc on our society. I'm not about bigger government at all, but I would definitely vote for laws restricting pit bull ownership. At minimum, anytime they injure or kill anyone, they are put down and the owner spends one year in jail. That would suffice.

Guess if we want ANY law about ANYTHING that makes us liberals. Some of you in here need to go get a massage and put your guns away for awhile. You're going to die of a heart attack with THAT kind of paranoia.

[GOPPachyderm]

Four toes!? Four - how long was the ferret and/or 6-week old puppy chewing before parents said "hey, maybe we should stop this!"

[pandoraou812]

If the only problem was that a ferret was not caged, that is hardly criminal negligence. And a baby sleeping next to your mattress where you are sleeping is certainly not desertion.

Do you know anything about ferrets? As you can read the baby is missing toes. People will any kind of sense don't allow animals to be loose around babies. I don't know the laws of that state but a child was put in danger . That is child endangerment. How these two parents slept through their child's screams of pain is way beyond me. Maybe the police feel they were not there when the baby was being chewed upon. That would make sense as I am very sure the baby's screams of pain would have woke the dead. As a mother of 6 children I can tell you that once you have a baby your sleep is never the same as it was before you had children. Matter of fact ask most mothers. Your brain tunes into the slightest sounds your baby makes. If they were right next to that baby the mother would have woke up unless she was in a drunken or drugged stupor. Can you get this? If you were sleeping next to that child while an animal was chewing its toes off would you have woke up?

[pandoraou812]

I am by no means a pit person. I have had to go get crazy abused pits when I worked for the shelter. I saw what people do to them. Have I met responsible owners with gentle dogs, yes many times. I think it isn't the dog as much as what people do to the dogs. With any dog you need to give it training and proper care. Pits should never be owned by someone who isn't going to do this. I don't believe all should be wiped out.But if they are aggressive and can't be trained or they bite I personally would put that dog down. What has happened with the pits in past years is people get them , think they can make some money breeding them and sell to anyone who has the money for one. Thats what I hate. I would certainly agree with restricting pit bull ownership to people who know how to handle them. How do you feel about akitas and dobermans? Do you feel they are a danger too? They also have gotten bad reputations over the years. I think too many people buy dogs without understanding the needs and care of the dogs. A good breeder won't sell a puppy to just anyone.They will screen the person before selling. Many of the problems you will see in all breeds of dogs these days are due to poor breeding and puppy mills and its a real shame.

[RobRoy]

>>I don't know the laws of that state but a child was put in danger . That is child endangerment.<<

The word "danger" is like the word "safe" - it really has no meaning without some sort of qualifier. After all, it is Legally considered "unsafe" to drive your car without a seatbelt but "safe" to ride a motorcycle with a helmet on.

Yet nobody would argue that it is safer on a motorcycle with a helmet than in a car without a seatbelt.

The main thing I know about ferrets is that they stink up your house unless they take twice as many baths as you do. But this case is nothing more than a tragic accident unless there are some mitigating circumstances I am not aware of (drugs, etc.). The state really can't become full time nanny to everyones kids. Sh!! happens and they should just butt out.

[RobRoy]

>>If you were sleeping next to that child while an animal was chewing its toes off would you have woke up?<<

It depends. Do toes sound like Corn Nuts when you chew 'em?

[pandoraou812]

It depends. Do toes sound like Corn Nuts when you chew 'em? Not funny in the least. I asked if a screaming child would wake you. Not how toes sound getting chewed off. I don't find humor in a child being abused in anyway.

Now to your Sh!! happens and they should just butt out.
Nope I don't agree,if you are so stupid you can't take care of your baby and it loses its toes due to your neglect then yes the state must step in. If SH!! happens and its on your watch then its your fault. Do you have children? Only thing I do agree with you on is that ferrets stink. They are testing the parents for drugs, doing a hair sample if I correctly remember.

[paulat]

If the only problem was that a ferret was not caged, that is hardly criminal negligence. And a baby sleeping next to your mattress where you are sleeping is certainly not desertion.

I don't get it.

I think #165 nails what really happened.

[adopt4Him]

The two that have the highest incident of maulings, bites & killings are pit bulls and rotweilers. Something evil about those two breed mixes.

Yes, I too have seen loving people taking good care of pits / rots, but i have also seen this beloved, well cared for animals turn on other dogs and/or children in a heartbeat. So it isn't just "nuture" -- it's "nature" as well.

The world is scary and evil enough. Children have so many things to be genuinely afraid of. Why in God's name would we deliberately use our freedom to own whatever animal we want to ignore the realities of what these particular breeds/mixes are capable of, that other breeds are not very likely to do? I just don't get it.

Our freedom cannot be ill-used. Freedom isn't free. It is a huge responsible entrusted to us by our Creator. It's wrong to not walk wisely and conctiously with this gift we have to choose. NO ANIMAL is worth sacrificing the health or life of anyone, especially children who are most vulernable in a battle with an animal.

Just my op...

[Calpernia]

>>>the mother would have woke up unless she was in a drunken or drugged stupor.<<<<

Bump

Hence the negligence of not performing a drug test. This is a major loophole.

[RobRoy]

>>Not funny in the least. <<

Not to you. I am assuming you are female. You wouldn't believe what us guys will think is funny. We compartmentalize.

Regarding the screaming child, I agree, assuming someone wasn't a real deep sleeper.

The real problem here is that you and I have very different philosophy's on when the state can step in between parents and their God given children. I put the bar at around where the parent tries to physically kill the child. I suspect your bar is slightly lower (or higher, depending on how you want to describe the scale).

[RobRoy]

>> If SH!! happens and its on your watch then its your fault.<<

No. It is not your fault. It is your responsibility.

>>They are testing the parents for drugs, doing a hair sample if I correctly remember.<<

That is interesting. The hair sample can verify drug use for the life of the strand. I don't see how evidence of drug use 8 months ago is gonna bolster the case against these parents on something that just happened. However, if drug use contemprary to the event were involved, my take on this will change.

But until that is determined...

But

[Calpernia]

I agree with 165 also. But, I wouldn't rule out those toes being bitten off by one of the parents having a 'bad trip' either.

[RobRoy]

>>I think #165 nails what really happened.<<

I think that may be closer to the actual events than anything I have read so far.

[Hot Tabasco]

I'm not seeing any ferret defenders on this thread....

Sorry, just got here. Ferrets don't have the strength in their jaws or the strong teeth necessary to gnaw thru bone.

The dog did it...

[pandoraou812]

I don't care much for state services concerning children. I live in NJ where DYFS is doing a really poor job. I believe if you allow your child to be harmed because of neglect and I truly think this is neglect you deserve to lose that child. Yes accidents will happen, a true accident is one thing. Allowing a 4 week old baby to be chewed on by a animal is another thing. I think the state should let you raise your child as you see fit as long as there is no abuse, neglect or mental abuse. Here the state will step in if someone is mad at you and decides to call that you spanked your child. I think that is stupid. As long as you have not beat your child and given them bruises or welts I don't see that as abuse for example.

[paulat]

Sorry, just got here. Ferrets don't have the strength in their jaws or the strong teeth necessary to gnaw thru bone.

The dog did it...

I thought so, too, at first. But a baby's toes are hardly "bone" yet, and it would be extremely easy to get through a joint.

Also...apparently they found the toes. I think the dog woulda 'et 'em.

[Darnright]

>Pits - even mixes - are relatively easily identified by the signature width of the snout, lay of the lips, and curvature of the forehead.<

No, they can't be easily identified by a layman, like a reporter or even a policeman or fireman.

For proof, take the following tests:

http://members.aol.com/radogz/find.html

http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/findpit.html