Liverpool: 17-month-old girl has died after being attacked by a new dog
 

[A 17-month-old girl has died after
being attacked by a dog in her home.
The toddler died in hospital after the
attack in Bidston Avenue, in the Blackbrook area
of St Helens, at about 15:50 GMT on Monday.
Merseyside Police said her
"absolutely devastated" family had
only bought the dog a week ago.

Officers will carry out tests on the dog,
which was killed by police,
to see if it was an illegal breed,
as well as trying to identify its previous owners.

Det Insp Lisa Milligan
said: "This is a tragic incident and our
thoughts are with the child's family at
this devastating time.]


This is Tragic
reports are saying it was a pit bull type dog.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...yside-60829837

I just don't understand why anyone would think it was a good idea to bring an adult dog into a home where there is a toddler

very sad but so avoidable

I agree, you have no idea how the dog was treated prior. Poor little girl :(

I was literally going to say that; if it was able to kill a child then it was a new ADULT dog being brought into an infant's home. It's absolute madness... toddlers are unpredictable by nature, an adult dog in a new home is unpredictable, it's a recipe for disaster. I think it's potentially an error to get a new dog with kids under about 5 at all, but if one must, it needs to be a pup and you need to be sure it came from a reputable place (i.e. you need to see it with the litter/the mum with your own eyes). A new pup if you raise and train it well you can be pretty confident that it's safe. An adult dog, even if you get it from a friend and already "know" the dog, it's frankly russian roulette. It's a new environment and that dog doesn't yet (and may never) see that family as "it's pack".

you just know how this happened...

Young couple
lacking experience

Agree with all that and just to add, you especially don't get a Pitbull terrier type breed of all the breeds

Pitbull terrier!??? . And they thought it was a good idea to let this new dog around a baby ! . Are they stupid?!.

R.I.P to the innocent child , horrific and should never have happened.

Lacking Experience

Arista, you bring us the most depressing stories.

My day would have been better by not hearing about this.

The fact they're checking to see if it was an illegal breed means it most likely was, ie Pit Bull. And yeah I agree with most being said that it's absolutely ludicrous to bring an adult dog into your home with a toddler. A tragedy so easily avoidable. Bad, irresponsible parenting.

Where on earth were the parents?? Leaving a new, adult, dangerous dog (and lets face it 99.9% of the time it's not the dog's fault) with a toddler? Even my last dog, i would NEVER leave him alone around my daughter when she was little, even though he was nothing but friendly and loved kids. Sorry but the parents really need to be held account on this one. It's a massive, fatal case of child neglect.

Look this is an important story
the young will learn from this
tragedy

Great points

Yeah, my dog (dopey yellow lab) has literally never so much as barked or bared her teeth, even when other dogs are aggressive she just looks sad (and sometimes even tries again at playing, ever hopeful). I've said before, I could literally take her favourite food directly out of her mouth and she wouldn't do anything at all.

I still would never, ever leave her unattended with an infant. I'm 99.99% sure it would be absolutely fine to do so - but when the stakes are so high, that just doesn't matter.

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/03...7942100646.jpg
[Bella-Rae Birch was attacked by the family pet
on Monday afternoon at her home on
Bidston Avenue in Blackbrook,
St Helens, Merseyside at around 3.50pm on Monday.]



Tragic.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-home-dog.html

The photo of the parents tells you all you need to know about this case.
Hold them accountable for her death.

You shouldn’t leave any dog alone with a child, no matter what breed it is, it’s size, its age or how long you’ve had it. Just don’t.

I hope this isn’t going to be another case of “pit bull types are dangerous” because that’s wrong. By nature, pit bulls/staffies/big bulldogs are by nature extremely loving, affectionate and family-oriented dogs who absolutely adore children. I have a 12 year old big bulldog mix who has never been anything other than gentle, extremely affectionate and loving with everyone and everything she’s met. I can’t ever recall an occasion where she’s even so much as growled.

Sadly you just get people who mistreat and incorrectly raise these big powerful dogs and you get cases like this.

RIP little one. Absolutely awful, unnecessary and avoidable. :sad: