Posted on 12/20/2006 8:54:01 PM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
It was filmed in Argentina using largely nonprofessional actors.
The lead character is the directors chauffeur.
It is in Spanish with English subtitles.
A delightful little film. I found it at Blockbuster.
If Pit Bulls killed only 66 people in 20 years, that is a damn small price to pay for the many hours of pleasure and pride these brave, trustworthy, and gentle pets provide to their owners! What the heck is a maimed mailman or two, or two or three hundred chewed and scarred tots, when weighed in the cosmic balance with loyal companionship and neighborhood status?
Now, as to your totally prejudiced spin on the criminal ownership of Pit Bulls, etc:
Any fair man can see the solution there. When the owners get convicted, let them share their cells with their dogs.
Get your priorities straight, dude! Waddayou, some kind of insurance underwriter?
Parents of infant girl who had toes gnawed off plead guilty January 3, 2007BENTON -- The parents of an infant whose toes were gnawed off by a family pet pleaded guilty today in Bossier District Court to one count of child desertion.
Mary and Christopher Hansche agreed to sign over their pets to Bossier City for adoption, pay a $100 fine plus court costs and serve six months in jail. All but 48 days of the jail sentence were suspended. And the couple must undergo 60 days of unsupervised probation.
"It was a horrible accident. I'm sorry it happened," Bossier District Judge John Robinson said. "I believe the plea agreement is appropriate. Your punishment will be ongoing every time you look at your baby's feet. Now you know what could happen."
The Hansches were charged after they awoke Dec. 10 and discovered that three of their daughter's toes were gnawed off. Doctors were forced to remove another toe.
Initial reports indicated that a 6-week-old pit bull puppy did it, but some have questioned whether it was the family's pet ferret.
The child was released from the hospital in mid-December and put in the care of a grandparent. It will be up to juvenile court to determine final custody, authorities said.
Robinson also ordered the couple to complete a parenting class and submit proof of completion to him within 60 days.
The Hansches are expected to be released today from Bossier Parish Maximum Security Facility due to a "two for one" time-served policy.
I personally don't find any justice in this sentence. I hope the baby stays with the grandparent if they are more capable of caring for her then these so called parents. I am glad the animals won't be returned to them. Shaking my head here.....Prayers for the little baby. ~~Pandora~~
Thanks for the update!
That's a bunch of hooey. There's something evil about the kind of people that tend to keep these breeds and encourage their aggressiveness. (e.g. dogfighting rings, etc.) and breed them for profit (as opposed to show and hobby breeders, who breed for temperament).
Besides that, a puppy that age doesn't have it in him to do something like that.
You should watch Cesar Millan - even BAD dogs can be made good again, with correct leadership. He has a pack of about 40 of them, most of which are pitbutlls that started out as unwanted because of aggression/behavior problems. He rescued and rehabilitated them and they're the best, most well-balanced dogs you could ever see now. It depends on their pack leader.
Amen. Have you ever seen Cesar Millan in action?
Thanks for the update.
Good they needed to be punished for stupidity and neglect. It doesn't matter whether the dog or the ferret did it, the parents were responsible.
Yes I have. We watch the show here quite a bit. I wish people took more time to determine if a certain breed is the correct one for them. That cute little puppy can grow up to be a real big dog and end up at the shelter. That is just heartbreaking to me.
Thanks for the update, as well. I hope those grandparents learned something over the years. They don't seem to have done so well the first time around. I hope they do better this time.
Thanks for the update. I'm still flabbergasted that parents would leave a tiny baby where ANY pet could get to them. Goodness common sense isn't so common....
susie
Sounds like a good compromise.
Cesar rocks!!
Thanks for the update. The story still makes me sick. Poor little child to have to live like that forever.
Thanks for the update. At least the puppy has a chance now of getting a decent 'parent', moreso than the poor baby will.
And I have to agree with those who say this was not enough as far as punishment for the biological units - I refuse to call these people parents - I say they should be thrown in a cell with some Louisiana wharf Rats and have their toes nibbled off.
Thanks for the update...
Thnx for the ping.
Pretty much a slap on the wrist. They should have had to sign over the baby for adoption too.
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