Dog Attack Tragedy

I am watching Robert Cabral talk about the tragic dog attack in Tennessee, the one that killed a 5 month old and a 2 year old. The mother ended up in the hospital in critical condition because she was trying to protect her children. 

Just tragic. No words. None.

When this happened, I sat and cried for those kids and that mom. I'm crying again because it didn't have to happen.

Cabral mentioned he thinks the baby started crying and it was the crying that set the dogs off. That was my first thought when I heard about this. And it took me back to a moment in a dog park when Angel Baby was five.

We had taken Max, our black lab mix, to the dog park to run and play. My kids brought their softball gloves and ball to toss around. Lovely Beautiful Daughter tossed the ball to Angel Baby. The ball rolled out of his glove, up his forearm and smacked into his nose. He started wailing. A high-pitched, my nose hurts wail. Blood streamed down, over his lips and onto his shirt. I was about five or six feet away. A Rottweiler was about three feet away, right in front of him, staring. I could see the muscles flexing, bunching. The dog was getting ready to jump at my son. The dog's owners were standing nearby, laughing. They made no move to corral their dog that was ready to attack.

I quickly stepped between Angel Baby and the dog. I bent towards Angel Baby so my rear was in the dog's face. I whispered to Angel Baby that he needed to stop. I whispered it over and over until he was just sniffling. I looked over my should to see the dog still standing there. I kept whispering to Angel Baby until he settled down completely. Then I escorted him out of the park and away from the Rott. 

I know without a doubt that dog wanted at my son. Its instincts had kicked in over the sound Angel Baby was making. The blood didn't help matters. 

Cabral says at one point that a dog owner should never trust their dog completely. I totally agree. I trusted Ado a lot, but I didn't trust him completely. I trust Murphy more than I trusted Ado, but I still have a part of me that knows even Murphy could find it within himself to harm someone. I have to constantly keep this at the forefront. It is on me to make sure Murphy never hurts anyone. I did the same with Ado. While Ado was a big teddy bear to me and the kids, he wasn't with anyone else. Which is why he was always on a leash or behind closed doors when an outsider came into the house. I knew Ado took his role as protector seriously. I take my role as protector of family and guests more seriously.

When I walk Murphy around our small village, I'm constantly on high alert. There are more dogs than ever out here, most of which are left chained to a tree in a yard. I've had to alter my route several times due to three pit bulls in one yard and three pit bulls in another yard. I recently talked to the mom of the owner of the one group of pit bulls, saying I was afraid to walk by that yard. She laughed, saying they all were fine, gentle, loving dogs. That's not what I've experienced when we've walked by. They all go into a frenzy. If they ever got out of the yard, Murphy and I would be in trouble.

I totally agree with Cabral -- we have to start being honest about the fact our dogs have the potential to cause harm. Every dog has this potential. It's the owner's responsibility to make sure this harm never happens.