Mum backs dog, chides son for pulling ears before mauling

[Miss B]

:shock:

Article from:

THIS little boy's face was horribly scarred by the family dog - but his mother yesterday vowed to keep the pet, blaming the attack on her son.

Two-year-old Noah Newbold is lucky to have the sight in his left eye after being mauled by his family's 50kg mastiff-staffordshire cross.

Deep cuts and scratches cover the left side of his face.

But yesterday the toddler's mother, Alicia Cottier, said she was keeping the dog despite the attack because it had been provoked by her son pulling the dog's ears.

"People are telling me I should shoot the dog, and as much as I love my son to death, I believe Noah was annoying her. I love the dog and she's part of the family," Ms Cottier said.

Noah is nursing a range of painful injuries after being bitten on Monday night at his home at Booral in the Hunter Valley, NSW.

Police attended the scene but said there no charges would be laid because the attack had occurred at the home of the dog's owner.

With a large cut on his eyelid, and puncture marks on his cheeks and chin, the toddler told The Daily Telegraph his pet dog "bited me".

As the child hugged and kissed the dog yesterday, Ms Cottier said the attack was not the dog's fault.

"It's not like the dog picked him up and shook him or anything, she just snapped at him for pulling on her ears," she said. "She's a good dog, I've never had any problems with her before and I don't think it's her fault."

Young Noah agreed.
"I love Cassey," Noah said.

Paramedics who dressed the boy's wounds said he was lucky to escape with so few injuries, given his size compared with the dog.

Until Monday night, Ms Cottier said Noah and Cassey played together like best friends.
But one too many tugs of the dog's ears, according to Ms Cottier, was enough to set her off.
"Noah was lying all over her and he started pulling her ears. I told him not to or she'd get cranky," Ms Cottier said.

But Noah persisted.

"Normally when she (Cassey) has had enough, she walks away from him but this time she snapped at him and she's bitten him on the face," Ms Cottier said.

Noah was covered in blood and crying hysterically when Ms Cottier pulled him away from the dog and dialled triple-0.

"There was blood everywhere, and he was screaming," she said.

Ambulance officers from the Hunter Westpac Rescue Helicopter attended to Noah and deemed him "the luckiest boy alive".

Lower Hunter police inspector Glenn Blain said the dog's fate was in the hands of its owner.
"It happened at the house where the dog lives so no action will be taken," he said.

 

[mr_muesli]

i can understand the mothers point of view, but i mean.......he's her son, and that attack could happen any time again

 

[Chimera]

Her point of view is valid but quite simply the dog is not suited to a house with children. Anyone who has grown up with a dog knows the torment they receive from young kids and most family pets will take it in good grace.

 

[Miss B]

Mum's an idiot, imo. She blames the kid for the attack? Fair enough if the dog had never showed any signs of aggression before, she had no real way to know it might happen. But obviously the dog is capable of being snappy and perhaps next time it will be worse, the kid could end up dead.

If it were me in that situation, I would organise to have the dog rehomed somewhere where it would not come into contact with small children.

 

[Kyro]

I can't help but wonder why such a young child was playing with the dog with out adult supervision. If I were in that position i'd feel like a lousy mother for letting that happen in the first place. Poor kid

 

[Whisper2]

i agree with the mum.
tough lesson for the kid but i am sure the dog has been hit before for doing something wrong. she just put the kid back into line.

 

[Miss Morph-lette]

I understand that the Mum wants the kid to realise that you have to behave in a certain way around animals and pestering them is not on, and I'm guessing that the dog behaved in the same way she would to discipline a puppy, but seriously!! The child is 2 years old and even tho he's probably quite cluey and now is aware that he can't repeat his behaviour, he's a small kid who doesn't have the same protection as a puppy (fur, loose skin, etc) and if the dog decides to 'discipline' him again, then maybe next time he won't just have cuts and puncture marks.

Letting the situation get out of hand to the point that the dog snapped at the kid is similar to telling the kid not to stick the fork in the power point. It's easier enough and a lot safer to take the fork away and explain what can happen if he keeps doing what he's doing rather than let him continue doing something which has the potential to be extremely dangerous to 'teach him a lesson'.

I hope it the woman continues to keep the dog, then she is more aware of what's going on between her son and her dog!

 

[channi]

I can't help but wonder why such a young child was playing with the dog with out adult supervision. If I were in that position i'd feel like a lousy mother for letting that happen in the first place. Poor kid

I agree a child that young cannot fully understand consquence the mother on the other hand can. There is a reason human children stay attached to and dependant on their parents or caregivers so long....we simply arn't designed to make smart choices early on.

 

[Craig2]

Glenn Blain said the dog's fate was in the hands of its owner.
"It happened at the house where the dog lives so no action will be taken," he said.

So if a burgalar is in my back yard and my dog eats them its ok

 

[CodeRed]

Put down the mum instead of the dog, she obviously doesnt care about her child.

Wonder if people would change their attitude if the kid was killed by the dog.

 

[nickamon]

And here's why children and animals should always be supervised when they're together.

Also, kid shouldn't have been allowed to harass the dog, and should be taught to respect animals. No wonder the dog defended itself.

 

[kwaka_80]

yeah but surely it cant really be the dogs fault at all, it is a breed known either for a fighter or a pigdog, no matter how tame an aminal like that is too much provacation and something is going to happen. And with having said that I dont belive it was the boys fault as he is obviously to young to understand what it could potentionaly could do. not to be "mean" or anything but now he knows, and very lucky

 

[TWENTY B]

i have an american staffy bitch, and i can guarantee she would never bite a kid like that, no matter how much the little **** pulled her ears.. (sometimes i wish she would eat my cousins kids)
it's all in thier upbringing, there is something not right in the way the parents have raised that dog..

 

[Miss B]

I wonder what will happen if, six months down the track, the little boy pokes the dog in the eye and it mauls him to death. Will the mother say, "Well - he provoked the dog again, so I guess he learnt his lesson".

The mother has a responsibility to protect her child, and by allowing the dog and the child to continue coming into contact with one another, she is putting her child at risk of being attacked again. One would think that this incident would serve as a warning sign, but I guess some people never learn...

If the dog did end up mauling the child to death, I'd have absolutely no sympathy for the mother whatsoever.

 

[carinacat]

its the hardest choice to make and i am going thru sumthing very similar at the moment. my american bulldog recently attacked another persons small maltese. i dont kno what made her do this but i love her dearly and will not have her destroyed. i have a 2 year old and a 6 year old who play and climb all over my dog. she has never shown any aggression before or since but if she ever attacked a child it would be very heartbreaking to have her PTS. sumtimes in cases like these its the parents fault not the dogs or the childs. this woman knew her son was annoying the dog so i blame her fully for not controlling the situation.

 

[Chris1]

they could give the dog to a farm or people without kids, i'm sure its a lovely dog,.....

then again, any dog has the potential to harm a kid, they shouldnt have been left together unsupervised!!

 

[jessb]

"But one too many tugs of the dog's ears, according to Ms Cottier, was enough to set her off.
"Noah was lying all over her and he started pulling her ears. I told him not to or she'd get cranky," Ms Cottier said.

But Noah persisted. "

Well it's clearly the Mum's fault! Blaming the dog seems like a cop out because she wasn't responsible enough to supervise her child's play with the dog.

A 2yo child CANNOT be trusted not to poke a dog's eyes, pull its ears etc nor can a 2yo be trusted not to stick forks in power points, drink bleach or jump off the kitchen table. That's why you ALWAYS have to supervise a small child or ensure they are in a secured area - not least of all around an animal that could quite easily kill a toddler.

What a moron. She is 100% to blame for what happened to her child, and I am waiting to hear the next report of her dog killing her child, or worse, another person's child. People like that should not be allowed to have dogs OR children!

 

[Sidonia]

She should have taken him away from the dog when he didn't stop harassing it, stupid woman.

I'd blame the kid and keep the dog too. I wouldn't let the kid near the dog again though. And I'm fairly certain that woman wouldn't either or she's a complete moron. She should learn her lesson just as much as her son has.

 

[dragon lady]

Hein sight is great BUT........a dog who now has the taste of human blood must me dealt with
the child hopefully has learn't his lesson... if not next time will be fatal

so you keep the dog...... or the kid?

 

[CodeRed]

Anyone who blames the kid simply doesnt understand the limitations of a two year old. They are in no position to determine what is safe and what isnt, what is right and what is wrong etc. This is the parent's responsibility to teach the child and ensure its safety.

Similarly the dog cant be blamed as it was just defending/protecting itself. Luckily it showed restraint and didnt tear the kids face off.