Father Wants Baby-Snatching Wolf-Dog Hybrid Back Home

[Sandi]

It is a move opposed by both local authorities and the Jessamine County SAVE Center, which want Dakota to go to an animal sanctuary.

"I cannot imagine what the father is thinking," Sarah Wilson, a dog expert and trainer with 23 years of experience, told Paw Nation. "You do not bring an animal into your home who -- for whatever reason – almost killed your child."

The baby suffered a skull fracture, collapsed lungs, broken ribs, contusions and cuts, and is recovering back home. I don't know, but if he does get the dog back, wouldn't the dog want to try to get at the baby again?

http://www.pawnation.com/2009/08/25/father-wants-baby-snatching-wolf-dog-hybrid-back-home/

 

[3CsMommy]

From the sounds of the "attack", the dog wasn't acting aggressively; she was trying to move the baby but not realizing her own strength, caused injury.

That said, I don't think the guy should have her back anyway. If they weren't watching the child closely enough 3 days after he came home from the hospital to prevent their (obviously smart) dog from causing him damage, the dog needs a home with owners that understand her. This father, I think, should stick with fish for a while.

 

[eroomlorac]

I don't believe it was an 'attack', either. If the dog has a loving, safe place to stay, I say leave it there. I love my dogs dearly, but I love my children more. What happens when the child starts walking and running around, screaming and playing? I would not let that dog near my baby again and I don't think it's fair to keep the dog locked away from the baby in it's home the rest of it's life. The dog would do better in a home, sanctuary more suited to it's needs and lifestyle.

 

[tunes]

The problem is, people don't realize how dangerous wolf hybrids can be. It's safer to have a full wolf than it is a mix with God knows what in the blood.

Regardless of the whys behind the attack/removal, that particular dog would not come back into my home. It doesn't matter if it was negligence on my part or instinct on the dog/wolf's. What matters is a child was almost killed and I would make sure that the animal found a good home with someone who doesn't have kids or kids around. No one will ever know why he did what he did, so to me bringing him back in the home is like dangling a carrot in front of a horse (or meat in front of a lion). No matter how much you love the dog, your child's safety HAS to come first.

 

[Godins Chinchillas]

What tunes said.

My kids always come first. We have seen too many injuries to kids due to dogs. Most of the time it is because of the owners not watching their animals. OR if they know the animal's tendacies-not caring thinking it won't happen to them.

Jessica

 

[Laurie]

I don't really think most people realize dogs are carnivores. They are meat eaters. All dogs have the ability to turn and attack at any given moment. They weren't born domesticated, same as cats--we domesticated them to be companions for us. Once a domesticated animal attacks it's really no longer domesticated--it's falling back on it's natural instinct to survive.

This very thing happened with Roy of Siegfried and Roy--his tiger did not attack him, but was merely trying to save him, but in the process mauled him.

These are just not situations you should put yourself into.

The dog should not be allowed to return no matter the reason for the injuries.

 

[CTChin]

Personally I would love to see the dog go to Best Friends Sanctuary

 

[Sandi]

I too believe the dog should go to an animal sanctuary.

 

[Jeanette]

He acknowledges that the dog can't come back into his house. I don't understand how everyone is interpreting that statement to be the opposite. People just want something to be shocked and upset about because a dog hurt someone.

 

[tunes]

The Lexington-Herald reports that Smith now wants Dakota back at home with the family. It is a move opposed by both local authorities and the Jessamine County SAVE Center, which want Dakota to go to an animal sanctuary.

I think that's pretty clear Jeanette. First he said no, now he does want the dog back. I don't think that is interpreting the statement in any way except as it was stated - he wants the dog back. He originally said he couldn't come back, but not now.

 

[Jeanette]

He does not want the dog back in the house. This is what caused the problem. I do however see a problem with it being in the yard; child playing in the yard + dog who almost killed the kid. I'm not blind to that. However, I do see the media playing up the fact that the father wants the dog back. Where in this article do we see a statement from the father saying that he wants the dog back? It could very well be possible that this guy is that insane... but it is also possible that the media likes to blow things out of proportion and find their 'bad guy'.
Perhaps he is worried about what happens to the dog; being put down because of its behavior or because it has no where else to go.

People have said that this dog wasn't acting aggressively and that it was acting on its natural instincts. Perhaps the father knew this and doesn't want the dog to pay for his mistakes. (Just imagine it being your dog!).
We don't know what 'back with the family' means. Perhaps it will be in an area where it has a lot of place to run and has no access to the areas in which the family lives. We just don't know.

With all this being said, my personal opinion is that the dog shouldn't go back to the father because he is irresponsible for leaving the dog alone with the child.

 

[Riven]

I too agree that it was not an "attack", and it's the parents fault for not supervising. They said the baby came home early and they weren't fully ready for it. It's really easy

Door shut = no dogs in the room
baby monitor = batteries and it works! - $20 at WalMart

Pretty easy to me, doesn't take lots of set-up or pre-mediation to get that done!

 

[Siren]

I don't agree its an attack either. If it was attacked the baby would be dead. No doubt about it. The dog had the opportunity and time to kill it. It sounds more like it carried it and due to a mixture of inexperience and simply because human babies and puppies aren't made the same, the baby got cut by the teeth. Puppies have a lot of loose skin, easy for a dog to pick up. Their fur and thicker skin also protects them from the teeth. A little cotton shirt the kid was wearing is not going to protect it when a dog carries it.

Frankly, the owner shouldn't get the dog at all. Anyone who leaves a dog and a young child unsupervised with it not only should lose the dog, but should serious be considered in having the baby placed in another home too.

 

[menagerie]

Personally I would love to see the dog go to Best Friends Sanctuary

Best Friends is highly overrated. They only get involved in situations that bring lots of news coverage to them and have the potential for a big fund raising campaign for them.

 

[Siren]

The dog has been with a family all its life. I'd like to see it rehomed to a family with older children, or a person or couple with no children.

Working at the wildlife rescue, we got a few wolves and wolf hybrids who were use to house life. At the rescue, they are outdoors 24/7. They have shelters, but they are really just in big cages with very little human contact. It was tough for the ones use to home life to adjust to that.

 

[Nemo369]

I agree that I don't think it was an attack. Though the wolf-dog hybrids can be dangerous, if you know the mix, then there shouldn't be much problem. I personally owned a Mackenzie wolf-Timber wolf- Malamute cross. she had more wolf than anything in her, as we weren't really sure about the malamute portion. But she was the best dog I ever had. She was very gentle and very obedient until the day she passed from cancerous tumors. So it all depends on the dog's upbrinnging and the bloodline.