Archie-Lee Hirst (1) mauled to death by Rottweiler

[A Midnight Dreary]

A Rottweiler which mauled its owners' 13-month-old grandson to death had been kept in a yard and not walked for five months, an inquest has heard.

Archie-Lee Hirst was attacked by the dog at his grandparents' home in Wakefield on 28 December.

Recording a verdict of accidental death coroner David Hinchliff called for "stricter controls" on the breeding and sale of dangerous dogs.

Wakefield Coroner's Court heard Archie-Lee died from multiple injuries.

His aunt, 16, who was babysitting the youngster and her two younger sisters aged six and seven, tried to fight off the dog.

The seven-year-old had been carrying Archie-Lee when the dog snatched him out of her hands.

The two-and-a-half-year-old female Rottweiler was later killed by police.

Mike Mullen, a canine consultant, said the Rottweiler did not have enough "mental stimulation" in the back yard where she was kept.

Mr Mullen believed the animal would have viewed Archie-Lee as an object being given to his seven-year-old aunt.

Mr Hinchliff told the court that no blame should be placed on Archie-Lee's aunt, who did all she could.

"Once the dog had the child, she was not going to give up what she regarded as her prize," he said.

"Whatever efforts there might have been to retrieve Archie would have been in vain."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7576074.stm

[spooksandmango]

I do not even know what to say ,what a precious little boy .It brought me to tears seeing his face .What a horrible way to go .RIP Archie

[jenqtpie]

Oh the picture of this sweet boy is killing me... All it took was more people interactions and some training and this dog would have not reacted that way.... What a tragedy :-(

[deeply shaded]

[quote author=jenqtpie link=topic=15868.msg986555#msg986555 date=1219947244]
Oh the picture of this sweet boy is killing me... All it took was more people interactions and some training and this dog would have not reacted that way.... What a tragedy :-(
[/quote]

The dog snatched the baby from someone's arms. I think that's a weird thing for a dog to do. One of mine would snatch food and another might try to snatch a toy if it was his but a baby? Why would a dog do that? I'm not doubting that's how it happened, I just think that's a really weird dog reaction.

[Nocturnity]

When will pet owners realize that keeping a dog in the backyard or chained up without any sort of human interaction on a regular basis can be dangerous? 

RIP Archie and puppy.

[puzzld]

Yep.  Dogs are only part of your pack if they are part of your pack...Tied up outside, day in and day out does not do it.

[Vegemite Kid]

What about the poor children who were babysitting and witnessed it, especially the 7 year old who had the poor bubba snatched from their arms

This is sooooooo horrible.  RIP little one.

[LostSouls]

When will people learn.    They had a seven year old (which are known to be excitable) holding a baby in a yard with an untrained dog.   


Rip Little one

[deeply shaded]

[quote author=LostSouls link=topic=15868.msg987604#msg987604 date=1220017399]
When will people learn.    They had a seven year old (which are known to be excitable) holding a baby in a yard with an untrained dog.   


Rip Little one
[/quote]

I guess I'm an idiot but what am I supposed to have learned in order to know this could happen? I would never in a million years expect any of my dogs, or any family pet kind of dog, to run and snatch a baby from the arms of a person and kill it, no matter what the age of the person doing the holding. I think that's a really odd and fucked up dog reaction.

[LostSouls]

[quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=15868.msg987774#msg987774 date=1220024793]
I guess I'm an idiot but what am I supposed to have learned in order to know this could happen? I would never in a million years expect any of my dogs, or any family pet kind of dog, to run and snatch a baby from the arms of a person and kill it, no matter what the age of the person doing the holding. I think that's a really odd and fucked up dog reaction.
[/quote]

How about do not leave little children around an animal that is never interacted with? I mean if the dog is not safe to walk or have in a house why let kids play around such an animal.  Unsocialized animals do not know where the boundaries are.  They are in charge of themselves so why not take something away from somebody they deem below them? I for one can see how this could happen.  It is one of the main reasons I train my dog and kids how to act around each other.

[deeply shaded]

[quote author=LostSouls link=topic=15868.msg987818#msg987818 date=1220026130]
How about do not leave little children around an animal that is never interacted with? I mean if the dog is not safe to walk or have in a house why let kids play around such an animal.  Unsocialized animals do not know where the boundaries are.  They are in charge of themselves so why not take something away from somebody they deem below them? I for one can see how this could happen.  It is one of the main reasons I train my dog and kids how to act around each other.

[/quote]

Did it say this dog was not safe to walk or have in the house? It may have, I can't recall. In that case you shouldn't have children around it. But if it was a family pet and they just didn't ever interact with it but had no inkling it was aggressive why would they even think of that?

I'm not trying to argue with you here really. My dogs live in the house. But there are people up the street whose dogs are tied up out back and I think the only interaction they get is feeding time pretty much. I do not agree with this treatment of animals in any way, but it would still not occur to me, and I'm sure not to the owners, that these dogs might grab a baby and kill it. Aggressive dogs do that shit, not dogs that are friendly and pet-like but just are ignored.

[LostSouls]

[quote author=deeply shaded link=topic=15868.msg987826#msg987826 date=1220026392]
Did it say this dog was not safe to walk or have in the house? It may have, I can't recall. In that case you shouldn't have children around it. But if it was a family pet and they just didn't ever interact with it but had no inkling it was aggressive why would they even think of that?

I'm not trying to argue with you here really. My dogs live in the house. But there are people up the street whose dogs are tied up out back and I think the only interaction they get is feeding time pretty much. I do not agree with this treatment of animals in any way, but it would still not occur to me, and I'm sure not to the owners, that these dogs might grab a baby and kill it. Aggressive dogs do that shit, not dogs that are friendly and pet-like but just are ignored.
[/quote]

Not trying to argue with you either.  Just wish after so many of these case of dogs attacking children owners would get a clue or pay attention. 

Plus not just aggressive dogs do that shit.  Stressed dogs, sick dogs, scared dogs or in simple mentally unstable dogs do that shit also.  How does a family know what type of dog they have if they never interact with it?