Dad shoots dog, retrieves son's pinky finger in Bradenton

[Tony_FLADEM]

BRADENTON --

Deputies say a man shot and killed a dog and retrieved a finger from its stomach after the caged animal bit his 11-year-old's hand Friday in Bradenton.

According to a news release, the boy stuck his left hand through the slots in the cage attempting to pet the dog. The dog bit him, completely severing his pinky finger and possibly breaking his forearm.

Deputies said the boy's father removed the dog from its cage and shot it multiple times, killing it. The father then removed the finger from the dog's stomach while waiting for paramedics to arrive at the home on the 5200 block of 22nd Street Court East.

The boy was was airlifted to Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg.

Deputies said a "preliminary investigation supports the father's accounts of the events, and it appears to be an accident."

Manatee County Animal Services personnel removed the dog's remains.

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2013/3/30/dad_shoots_dog_retri.html

[NYC_SKP]

1. WTF?

[Tony_FLADEM]

2. It's hard to believe. But it happened.

The boy's father is a minister.

[tularetom]

3. So, did they sew the kid's finger back on or not?

I lost a pinky finger 15 years ago in an unfortunate encounter with a table saw.

Even though I took the finger to the emergency room, they told me there was noway they could reattach it, sewed up the stump and sent me home.

Maybe medical science has advanced since 1998.

[Tony_FLADEM]

4. They were not able to reattach it because of nerve damage

http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2013/3/31/father_my_son_comes_.html

[NYC_SKP]

5. I figured. So the dog was murdered needlessly.

Fuck.

[Kali]

8. it bit off a child's finger

murder is a little strong of a word

[NYC_SKP]

9. The idiot father decided a Wolf-Malamute mix as a pet was A-OK.

The son lost his pinky finger due to the negligence of the parent.

The dog is a victim, IMO.

[Kali]

11. well, no disagreement with that assessment

I just tend to put a child's well-being over that of an animal in most instances. I would have done the same thing, most likely.

[liberal_at_heart]

16. I am not anti-wolf mixes or ant-pit either but I do think

more people should pick what breed they are getting more carefully. My husband's friend just got her pre-schooler a savannah cat. Dumb choice.

[malaise]

23. And just to add to the dog's aggression he locks it up in a cage

and let's his son pet it.

[NickB79]

20. It would have been put down regardless

You think they'd give a dog that took off a boy's finger to a new owner?

There is a need to put down a dog that is aggressive enough to remove a boy's finger and break his arm.

[11 Bravo]

38. Ignorant on so many levels, but let's just stick with the most basic.

Murder is defined as "the unlawful killing of a human being". Your opinion to the contrary, this was, in no sense of the word, a murder.

[NYC_SKP]

39. I'll admit to the inapt use of the term.

But it's used often enough.

I wish I had a dollar for every Orchid I've murdered.



"Slaughtered" would have been the better word, but my dogs are like people to me.

You know what I mean!

[NYC_SKP]

7. And it was a Malamute-Wolf mix. Assholes.

And they have two other dogs.

arrrgh.

.

[BainsBane]

50. I knew some people who had a wolf mix

years ago. I remember going over and it was out in the back yard howling. I didn't even have a dog then or know much about them, but I knew enough to know that was cruel. They seem more interested in the fact it was "cool" to have a wolf rather than what was best for the animal or what the best pet for them was.

[OwnedByCats]

58. Reminds me of people

who get wild animals as pets when they're babies because it's "cool". Yeah, until it may decide to be what it is which is an animal. It's true that there have been people who have done this successfully, but with them being even more unpredictable than most domestic dogs, people shouldn't take the chance and the animals don't belong in that situation in the first place.

[DollarBillHines]

51. In a cage, as well. Those dogs cannot be caged.

Hitch them to a trolley.

The dumb-ass should have made damned sure the kid knew to never reach thru the slats.

That asshole should be held accountable.

[JI7]

6. was it their dog ?

if it was they should never own a pet again.

[Tony_FLADEM]

10. Yes. They had it for 7 years.

[freshwest]

12. Why was it in a cage? For how long? What a mess, anyway.

[Tony_FLADEM]

13. I'm not sure. I only know what is in those 2 news stories.

[freshwest]

15. Yeah, they don't go into all the details. Done deal, though. Feel bad for the dog and the kid.

[Kolesar]

34. If the dog had to live in a cage, he was probably driven to craziness

Dogs need to socialize with other dogs or humans. Being denied a chance to run or explore is cruel.

[freshwest]

37. Agreed. Likely a large dog, too, even worse. That they kept it in a cage shows the problem.

[pipoman]

14. Dogs can be unpredictable..

probably a dumb choice of dogs, but sometimes a dog with no real history of biting, bites. If I thought I could save the child's finger, I would do exactly the same thing..who wouldn't?

Oh, and if it was my dog and I didn't think I could save the finger, it wouldn't live to digest it..if I lived in town I might let animal control take care of it...out here on the farm, I would shoot the dog immediately..

[Honeycombe8]

47. Sounds like abusive owners. Why is their dog in a cage? Also, 11 yr old boys can be terrors

to dogs. I lived next door to one once. He would torment our dog, when our dog was in teh back yard. Once when the dog was out front w/my husband, the dog ran over and bit the boy. It wasn't a bad bite.

All was okay. The boy's dad knew the kid had it coming, and the dog didn't inflict permanent damage, although any dog CAN do that, if it wants to.

[pipoman]

55. Throughout my life

living rurally I have had animals and pets, so do all of my neighbors. Intent of the animal is key. If a person goes into my garage and is bit, that is one thing. If the dog runs out of the garage and bites a guest or a child, that is unacceptable and the dog has to go..I've been bit a few times..only once did it cost the dog it's life..the rest were more accidental or a natural reaction..

[Honeycombe8]

56. Yeah, I would agree with that. But when our dog bit the boy....

I wasn't there, but I think the kids were playing in their front yard, right next to ours. My husband had our dog out in front, too, not on a leash (I would've had him on a leash). The kids got close to our yard, so the dog didn't have to go far. But he did run at the boy who had tormented him, and intentionally bit him. At least my husband didn't SEE the kid do anything (but I think he might have). That was a bad kid. He had issues. Sounds like in a way our dog finally got a chance to get the kid back, and did. Thank goodness the dad was cool about it. My husband was very apologetic. It was a Springer Spaniel, so not a killer breed.

ALSO, my husband played with teh dog by wrestling rough with him. I think it taught the dog that aggressive play was okay.

[Skidmore]

21. Why is it always the human's fault?

Sometimes an animal just does what an animal does. My mom owned a cranky old cat for a long time. She and that cat were on the best of terms, but one day it bit her--a nasty bite. Anyone who knew my mom and her kitty would never have assumed that mom had mistreated the animal in any way or shouldn't have had that cat in her life. The cat just had a moment of being cat. Domesticated animals still have a bit of the wild in them and not every animal has been mistreated or misunderstood nor is every human.

[avebury]

24. The human stuck his hand into the cage,

the dog did not stick its snout outside of the cage. Also, it was humans that trapped the dog in its cage, for who knows how long. Nobody knows what that dog was put through in the name of ownership over its life. You have to wonder how much socialization the dog was given. The family never should have owned a dog that they were incapable of handling properly.

Yes the humans are at fault and they failed this dog. The boy was more then old enough to know better then to stick his hand in the cage.

[undeterred]

43. Thank you.

Don't stick body parts in an animals cage (at home or at the zoo) unless you no longer care if you are attached to them.

[Trajan]

52. At the same time

Let's teach children to not pet dogs ...

kids are kids ... unless there is an express prohibition against it, they will pet animals ...

[baldguy]

25. Because humans have the responsibility to train & socialize the animal.

Too many time people just think; "I feed them, I give them a nice home, of course they'll love me!" Unfortunately, that's not how it works, and people & animals get injured or killed as a result.

[Skidmore]

27. I think animals and children pretty much operate under the same laws of the universe.

You can socialize all you want but once in a while something doesn't click for a bit. I personally find it a ridiculous notion that all the wild has been tamed out of even the most "socialized" of animals.

[baldguy]

30. .

[Skidmore]

31. I see.

Another soul who has perfect control of the universe.

[baldguy]

32. If you think animals should be treated like children & vice versa

I hope to god you never have the responsibility for either.

[Skidmore]

33. I didn't say that.

I've had pets in the past and I've raised two wonderful children who are successful adults with families of their own. If you missed the point that no one has perfect control over what another person or an animal does, then you don't get it.

[Honeycombe8]

48. I doubt it was the dog's fault. There's always a reason for a dog to bite.

Not enough info to know for sure what happened.

[Doremus]

54. A human caged the dog within easy access to human child, didn't tell child not to put finger in cage

Humans claim to be the superior species, able to think, use tools, etc.

If we have the superior intellect, it is incumbent on us to prevent accidents like this for the sake of both our progeny and the inferior species. Prevention of this incident would have involved little effort.

We're either "superior" or not. But you can't have it both ways.

[OwnedByCats]

59. YES

Totally agree, thank you!

[Poll_Blind]

17. Shit, I woulda done the same thing. The moment an animal starts chewing off...

...my children's limbs is the moment it ceases to be an animal I particularly care about.

PB

[Jenoch]

18. I would have

killed the dog to attempt to save the boy's finger as well. A malamute/wolf cross bred dog is an abomination and should not have existed in the first place. Dog owners should be responsible and not let such a thing happen. There is no such thing as a domesticated wolf.

[undeterred]

44. " an abomination and should not have existed in the first place"

That sounds downright Biblical.

BTW, there are plenty of dog/wolf mixes - they exist because the species are so close that nature allows successful interbreeding. The dogs that are part wolf are not necessarily more dangerous than other dogs.

[Jenoch]

46. Of course there are dog

wolf mixes but they should not be done intentionally. A wolf cannot be domesticated and a wolf hybrid is dangerous as well. We have photos of timberwolves on our property and have seen evidence of their kills.

Malamutes make good sled dogs but lousy family pets.

[undeterred]

49. I have a half malamute and he's a wonderful pet.

He's got a strong prey drive and has a lot of energy. He loves children and is great with other dogs. He's never bitten anyone.

It seems to me that you don't know a whole lot about wolves, dogs, or malamutes.

[Jenoch]

53. I had two buddies

with full-blood malamutes. They both eventually attacked the neighbor's dog, one toy poodle and the other a Shih Tzu. I am sure there are exceptions. Good luck with yours.

[defacto7]

19. Someday I'll get the guts to tell my really difficult dog story.

I have raised and bread dogs as a novice for years but I had this one dog that loved me like no other. I just won't go for it now because it is has a pretty bad ending. Not now.

[Maraya1969]

28. This is for you.

[defacto7]

36. And you are saying....

what?

It that a judgement of some sort? I can only go by my post and compare it to yours. If your reply is a judgement, you are making it based on knowing what?

I'll make a judgement now based on your level of insight:

I'm sorry you are unable to be clairvoyant but you just can't stop trying to read minds. If only people could stick to what they know not what they want to think.

[Maraya1969]

41. I am not being clairvoyant. You said you have bred dogs. And God knows

we don't need any more damn dog breeders.

At least stop for awhile and adopt some.

[defacto7]

42. How do you know I don't adopt?

I have been a proponent for proper breeding practices for some 30 years and I sell NO dogs. I don't even breed them myself anymore. I have offered information to select individuals to find less over-bred animals that meet a standard of gentle behavior and have less bone structure problems as a way to stop the excessive practices that have destroyed good animal lines. This is a side activity during my travel for work. I watch and connect mostly with owners outside of the US and the AKC is not my friend.

I understand your concern but your act of clairvoyance and judgement are pointed in the wrong direction and baseless as a personal argument. It's clairvoyance because you would need to have asked a lot more questions to come up with your angry assessment of my comment.

I'm sure your heart is in the right place but knee-jerk reactions are not your friend.

[OwnedByCats]

22. I don't know

I probably wouldn't have killed the dog because I would have thought that between it not being a clean break (unless the technology of reattachment has improved more than I think) and the dog's stomach acid, the finger would not be in any good shape to salvage.

Totally agree about the wolf hybrid, I don't get why people need to breed with wolves.

[Maraya1969]

29. That's what I thought. And what if the dog chewed it. I don't see how

the man thought he could save a finger once it went part way through the digestive system of any animal, including a human.

[ileus]

26. too bad they couldn't reattach the finger.

[Shankapotomus]

35. Dog must have been in a cage for a reason

Whether an 11 year old should know better or not, if you claim to be a parent to a child, then be a parent and admit when you failed.

I love it when everyone is a child's parent until the child does something stupid. Then it's like: "I've never seen that kid before in my life, officer."

[Hell Hath No Fury]

40. My kid would have been stuck minus a pinky -

Wouldn't dream of killing a dog to retrieve it.

[lumberjack_jeff]

45. How old is your kid? n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

57. I like dogs. I like people too. Except misanthropes. I hate misanthropes.

A dog with my kids finger inside is history.