A 3-month-old infant girl died after she was bitten on the head and face by one of the family dogs in her Sherman Oaks, California home while her grandmother was babysitting her on Saturday, May 5th.
When the grandmother had stepped away to get a bottle for the infant, the attack occurred. The grandmother drove the baby to the hospital where she was airlifted to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where she later died from her injuries.
The family has three family dogs – a 98-pound Rottweiler, 89-pound Labrador and 10-pound terrier. All three have been removed and are in custody with animal control. None of the dogs were aggressive while being removed from the residence.
DNA testing is being done to determine which dog (s) caused the fatal injuries.
“This is a horrible case,” Capt. Lillian Carranza of the Los Angeles Police Department. “It has touched all involved family, friends and first responders.” Caarranza also said the Mayor’s Crisis Response Team ‘will be by the family’s side during this difficult time. She said the family is distraught.
She said it’s a ‘true tragedy’ with no indication of neglect or criminal intent. No charges will be filed.
My condolences go out to the entire family. We’ve seen too many headlines where dogs have killed children. The question is why are babies and children targeted by dogs?
To understand the answer, we must first realize that a hierarchy exists in the home with a dog Dogs are pack animals and see their humans as the leaders. When a baby is added to the family, the hierarchy changes. Some dogs are left at the bottom of the totem pole and are forgotten altogether. The dog can becomes jealous of the person who caused this disruption. Dogs have emotions and they will show them if not enough attention is given to them after the new baby arrives.
It’s not known which dog or if more than one dog attacked this 3-month-old infant but we can learn from this tragedy. Parents can make preparations to make sure their baby is safe and help their dog with the transition.
Prepare your dog for the arrival of your baby prior to the birth. Teach your pet what rooms are off limits- the baby’s room and/or other rooms.
Make sure to spend weeks to months with your dog before the birth preparing them for the new addition. During that time, let your dog know how important they are in your family. They need to know they won’t feel left out once the baby arrives.
Before bringing the baby home, bring a blanket/clothes home with the baby’s scent. According to Scott Miller, DVM, a dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 times more powerful than a human’s. Babies have a very strong smell which dogs notice as a distinctive baby odor. This odor is an “assault on the dog’s senses.” Allow your dog to get accustomed to the new odor before you bringing the infant home. T
According to Miller, a dog’s hearing is 10 times better than a human’s, especially when it comes to high pitches. A baby’s cry can excite a dog which dates back to when dogs would hunt in packs. “They would go in for the kill when they heard the prey screaming in pain after it had been bitten. Always stay calm/ quiet after being bitten by a dog. Screaming/ high pitch noises such as a crying baby will incite them to a further attack.” Dogs want to stop the crying.
Never leave a dog alone with a baby/child under any circumstances! It doesn’t matter what the breed of dog is. Any dog has the propensity to bite. If a baby starts to cry, the dog will instinctively want to investigate the noise using their mouths. ” It’s no coincidence that a dog will target a face. It’s the source of the noise that is bothering them,” Miller said. “Babies also don’t blink often and dogs see this as a sign of confrontation.”
Dogs may also view babies/ small children’s height as a confrontation because they are at a similar height.
Remember to exercise your dog- play with him, walk him. Make sure your dog understands the rules of the home. Keep their routine similar to the one they had prior to the baby. Your dogs need to know they’re still important to the family.
If you’ve taken all of these precautions but your dog still doesn’t get along with your child, it may be in the best interest of your family to re-home the dog. Getting rid of pets should never be the first line of defense but your baby and children need to be safe in their own home.
Tina Evangelista-Eppenstein is a television talk show host, speaker, writer, and an unabashed animal advocate. Her love for animals and quest for the hard truth is what drives her passion for all things animals. She hosts the television show, “A Close Up Look at Animal Welfare Issues.” She adores her tripawd, Brody, who was a formerly abused pup who lost his leg because of cruelty inflicted upon him. If you’d like Tina to talk to your group or have a story, please email her at tevangelistaepp@yahoo.com. Like https://www.facebook.com/ACloseUpLookAtAnimalWelfareIssues and be sure to check out AnimalWelfareIssues.com.
What if the dogs The started to. Fight over the baby who was going to get close to the child and the baby got hurt during the fight..
You can’t ever trust a dog alone with a child. No matter how much you trust them, they can be unpredictable. I love my dogs but I won’t ever leave them alone with my small children.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.??
It’s weird how animals react to people and each other. We had two dogs that were best buds, but when the one dog would have a seizure ( he had epilepsy like seizures) the other dog would attack him.. it was bad enough he was having a seizure but on top of it to be attacked. Any answers for that one Tina?
Jesse,
I had an epileptic dog, Shebe, whose eyes would glaze over before a seizure began. If you notice any symptoms prior to a seizure, remove your other dog. If that can’t be done, remove or separate the other dog while your dog is experiencing the seizure. It can also be wise to keep your dog alone after the seizure because they can make your dog tired or sleepy.
Good luck. I assume your dog is on meds for the epilepsy.
Thanks.