Atlanteax
11-30-2009, 11:39 AM
I couldn't find any older threads that centered around bull-dogs and their record for being violent dogs.
But anyhow, here's another strike against the breed:
(in the meantime, it seems that there is a strong correlation between these sort of stories and that the owners involved are generally not ideal pet owners)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6937776.ece
A four-year-old boy has been savaged to death by a dog in Liverpool.
The child, named locally as John-Paul Foulkes, was attacked by the ’bulldog’ type mastiff at the home in the Wavertree area of the city he shared with his 63-year-old grandmother.
She suffered multiple bite marks as she wrestled to free her grandson from the dog’s jaws. He was so severely injured he died at the scene.
Dog handlers and armed response officers answered an emergency at the house, where neighbours described the brown and white dog’s “hellish” barking, shortly at 12.24am. Following a safety assessment, the animal was shot dead on the spot.
Lawrence Crewe, 53, a neighbour, said: “We heard a terrible barking that went on for more than 20 minutes. It was a hellish, blood-chilling noise and we wondered what could be going on.
“A few minutes later we heard two gunshots and the barking stopped. Only now we know the full horror of what has happened.
“It is a heart breaking tragedy. He was a lovely, happy little lad. We used to see him playing in the front garden or walking down the street with his grandmother.”
The grandmother was treated for her injuries at the Royal Liverpool Hospital but they are not thought to be life threatening.
Much of the terraced street remained sealed off by police as forensic experts worked at the scene.
Neighbours described a “ferocious” dog that many in the street had been wary of approaching.
Amos Ankara, another neighbour, said:“It was an accident waiting to happen, keeping that ferocious dog in the house with a young boy. Even the owner’s friends would not go near it. Everyone in the street was wary of it.”
Residents complained that the ownership of ’fighting dogs’ has long been a problem in the area. The dogs are said to be a status symbol for their owners.
Gillian Watson, 46, said: “There are lots of dangerous type dogs around here. You always see young lads with pit bull dogs roaming around.
“I have a dog myself and when I take him for a walk sometimes it is quite terrifying because you think your dog is going to be attacked.”
Another neighbour, who declined to be named, said a number of residents had complained to the local Housing Association about the problem of dogs.
He said: “About 12 months ago one of them tore a pet cat to pieces in the middle of the street. You see them all the time, they are huge animals and it is very threatening.”
Veterinary surgeons have been carrying out a post mortem examination on the dog to establish its breed.
Chief Superintendent Steve Ashley, of Merseyside Police, said: “This is a tragic incident and a full and thorough investigation will be carried out into the circumstances surrounding this young boy’s death. Officers are with the family and our sympathies are with them at this time.
“Of utmost importance in such incidents is the safety of the public and of police officers.
“When officers arrived at the address the dog was in an agitated state in the front garden of the property and was deemed to be a danger to the public.
“As a result we were left with no other option but to have the animal destroyed quickly and humanely.”
The tragedy comes almost three years after five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson was mauled to death by the family’s pet pitbull dog in nearby St Helens.
Ellie was attacked and killed by Reuben on New Year’s Day in 2007. Jacqueline Simpson, 45, her grandmother, who was looking after the child, was cleared of her manslaughter after a trial. Her brother Kiel Simpson, was jailed for eight weeks for owning a banned dog.
But anyhow, here's another strike against the breed:
(in the meantime, it seems that there is a strong correlation between these sort of stories and that the owners involved are generally not ideal pet owners)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6937776.ece
A four-year-old boy has been savaged to death by a dog in Liverpool.
The child, named locally as John-Paul Foulkes, was attacked by the ’bulldog’ type mastiff at the home in the Wavertree area of the city he shared with his 63-year-old grandmother.
She suffered multiple bite marks as she wrestled to free her grandson from the dog’s jaws. He was so severely injured he died at the scene.
Dog handlers and armed response officers answered an emergency at the house, where neighbours described the brown and white dog’s “hellish” barking, shortly at 12.24am. Following a safety assessment, the animal was shot dead on the spot.
Lawrence Crewe, 53, a neighbour, said: “We heard a terrible barking that went on for more than 20 minutes. It was a hellish, blood-chilling noise and we wondered what could be going on.
“A few minutes later we heard two gunshots and the barking stopped. Only now we know the full horror of what has happened.
“It is a heart breaking tragedy. He was a lovely, happy little lad. We used to see him playing in the front garden or walking down the street with his grandmother.”
The grandmother was treated for her injuries at the Royal Liverpool Hospital but they are not thought to be life threatening.
Much of the terraced street remained sealed off by police as forensic experts worked at the scene.
Neighbours described a “ferocious” dog that many in the street had been wary of approaching.
Amos Ankara, another neighbour, said:“It was an accident waiting to happen, keeping that ferocious dog in the house with a young boy. Even the owner’s friends would not go near it. Everyone in the street was wary of it.”
Residents complained that the ownership of ’fighting dogs’ has long been a problem in the area. The dogs are said to be a status symbol for their owners.
Gillian Watson, 46, said: “There are lots of dangerous type dogs around here. You always see young lads with pit bull dogs roaming around.
“I have a dog myself and when I take him for a walk sometimes it is quite terrifying because you think your dog is going to be attacked.”
Another neighbour, who declined to be named, said a number of residents had complained to the local Housing Association about the problem of dogs.
He said: “About 12 months ago one of them tore a pet cat to pieces in the middle of the street. You see them all the time, they are huge animals and it is very threatening.”
Veterinary surgeons have been carrying out a post mortem examination on the dog to establish its breed.
Chief Superintendent Steve Ashley, of Merseyside Police, said: “This is a tragic incident and a full and thorough investigation will be carried out into the circumstances surrounding this young boy’s death. Officers are with the family and our sympathies are with them at this time.
“Of utmost importance in such incidents is the safety of the public and of police officers.
“When officers arrived at the address the dog was in an agitated state in the front garden of the property and was deemed to be a danger to the public.
“As a result we were left with no other option but to have the animal destroyed quickly and humanely.”
The tragedy comes almost three years after five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson was mauled to death by the family’s pet pitbull dog in nearby St Helens.
Ellie was attacked and killed by Reuben on New Year’s Day in 2007. Jacqueline Simpson, 45, her grandmother, who was looking after the child, was cleared of her manslaughter after a trial. Her brother Kiel Simpson, was jailed for eight weeks for owning a banned dog.