Ridgeback bit child - in complete shock

[littlemisslauren]

A family friend had to have his 6 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback PTS yesterday.

Bruce was a gorgeous dog with a typical Ridgey attitude, he was wary of strangers but was very accepting of anyone 'accepted' in the family home. He was fiercely loyal and protective over the 5 year old daughter in the family, unfortunately this was his downfall.

The young girl was playing in the garden, the parents were some distance away but still in the garden and the family dogs (inc the ridgey) were near the child. A young relative (under 10 year old boy - not sure on his exact age sorry) ran into the garden and pushed the girl over in a playfull manner...

The ridgey snapped, he pinned the young boy down and bit him

The boy is in a stable condition but has been held in hospital.

If I had read this in a newspaper I would have instantly blamed the parents / owners of the dog. I never thought this would happen so close to home.

My thoughts are obviously with the little boy and his family.

 

[quirky]

Ooh nasty, hope the poor lad recovers and isn't too physically and mentally scarred.

 

[littlemisslauren]

I know! the poor little lad, it will have been a dog that he has grown up with too - not just a random scary dog.

The dog was carted off the the vets to be PTS as soon as the ambulance left.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I think your friends made the right decision, we had a male who pinned down (but did not bite) a man who came to our door, it was the latest in a long line of progressively more protective/aggressive (without warrant) behaviour for him, and my mother took the decision to PTS.
When a dog is of a certain size/power, of a certain temperament and their actions are so quick, you can't be too careful.

It just serves as a reminder (not judging, it's so easily done) that young children should never be left alone with dogs, no matter how much we trust them, at the end of the day they are animals and we can never be 100% sure how they think and how they will react to certain situations.

What a horrible thing to happen for everyone concerned

 

[ibot]

that is a horrible thing to have happen. i hope the little boy is ok and it does not put him off all dogs

i was bitten by a cross breed when i was 5 i might have been 6. i had 15 stiches in my face and i was nearly blind in my left eye . It was very different back then the dog who attacked me did not get put down actually we lost the court case

but i am lucky i love dogs i just see it as that one dog that was not nice.
hope he recovers soon xxx

 

[littlemisslauren]

As soon as bruce bit that little boy his owner knew the dog would not live to see another day. The owners wife told me she had to stop the owner from getting his gun

It has been such a shock to everyone.

I thought I would share with you all, just to remind us all that at the end of the day our dogs are still dogs and we can never trust them 100%

 

[Jake10]

Hope the boy is ok and that both the girl and the boy are not put off dogs