Girl gets lip bitten off by dog while playing Nintendogs

[Kyyle23]

http://www.hotbloodedgaming.com/2010/09/28...ing-nintendogs/

 

While playing Nintendogs at a friend’s house, nine year old Megan Walker experienced something that no one could have expected. After turning on the game, her virtual dog barked, this sent her friend’s bull-mastiff cross named Sacacen into a craze. The dog proceeded to bite and drag the nine year old off the couch. “When I woke up I turned on the Nintendo. It barked and Saracen dragged me off the couch by my foot. I was scared” said Megan.

 

The dog bit the nine year old several times and eventually bit off part her top lip. Police arrived and quickly acted. They put Megan’s severed piece of lip on some ice and Megan was rushed to Manchester Children’s Hospital. Doctors were able to re-attach the part of her lip that had been ripped off after two hours in surgery. Megan then spent an additional five days in the hospital.

 

Megan’s grandmother feels the game is entirely to blame for what happened to her granddaughter.

 

" I think this game should carry some kind of warning. People should be told not to play it when there are dogs in the room. I blame the game for what happened to Megan. If they hadn’t been playing it I don’t think the dog would have gone for her."

 

Whatever the case, it’s good to see that the nine year old wasn’t fatally wounded and her lip was able to be re-attached. As for the dog, Inspector Phil Spurgeon has said, “The owner signed the dog over for destruction and it has now been put down by a vet.” A note to everyone out there, don’t let your children play Nintendogs near real dogs.

 

Someone i know posted this on facebook, and now there is a conversation in which a guy said

 

I don't know what to be more enraged about... That the game (that is several years old at this point, with no similar situations reported) is somehow at fault, or that the Saracen was euthanized... This is a freak accident. The game barking may have triggered Saracen's behavior, but a barking tv, radio, or passerby should have done the same thing. Also, despite the attack, the dog didn't need to be killed. Training could easily fix and prevent this sort of behavior. Ugh.

 

Now, I dont agree with this at all. I think it was absolutely the right thing to do to euthanize this dog, you cant hope to train a dog not to do something like this. With children around the house, this could happen again and then you would wonder why he wasnt euthanized the first time. thoughts?

[clyons]

I've never understood why people with children keep those dogs as pets. Even if it's statistically high, why subject your children to that risk?

[Milkman delivers]

http://www.hotbloodedgaming.com/2010/09/28...ing-nintendogs/

 

 

 

Someone i know posted this on facebook, and now there is a conversation in which a guy said

 

 

 

Now, I dont agree with this at all. I think it was absolutely the right thing to do to euthanize this dog, you cant hope to train a dog not to do something like this. With children around the house, this could happen again and then you would wonder why he wasnt euthanized the first time. thoughts?

 

The very first thing I thought when I finished the article was that I was glad/surprised that the family acted so quickly to euthanize the dog. It was definitely the right thing to do, and being so prompt about it really showed that they cared.

 

I love my family's dog. He's been with the family for 10 years. If he did something like this, he would be lucky if I didn't take him into the backyard and shoot him myself.

[southsider2k5]

I agree, once you have kids, your kids are always first, no matter what.

[hogan873]

Absolutely the kids come first. I wouldn't hesistate to put a dog to sleep that attacked my kids.

[Kyyle23]

This is the same guys followup:

Yes, there is no punishment equivalent to imprisonment for a dog. They lack the ability to comprehend that sort of punishment (they also lack the ability to understand why they're being euthanized, or even that they ARE being euthanized). B...ut why is death more appropriate than rehabilitation? For that matter, why is imprisonment more appropriate than rehabilitation? As far as training needing to come before the incident, haven't we all (likely in youth) intentionally preformed an action that resulted in someone getting injured, however minor/serious? Maybe hitting a sibling, or shoving a classmate. We received "training" not to do that sort of thing prior to an incident occurring, but that didn't stop it. However, after being scolded, or taught the importance of not hurting people we become less and less likely to repeat our actions. The bulk of our prisons provide a single service, and that's to keep criminals out of the public eye, not rehabilitate them. Studies are out there that show that those prisons that focus more on rehabilitation, have less violent, and more productive inmates. The same thing applies to our canine friend here. The dog was confused, and made a mistake. Scold it, fine. Maybe give it a swat with the ol' newspaper if it makes you feel better, we all do things out of rage to make us feel better. But after that, get that dog into training, to help prevent this sort of thing from happening again. How about this scenario: Let's say the same thing happened, but Saracen didn't attack a 9 year old girl, but instead attacked another dog. Is the need to euthanize Saracen just as necessary? We often feel that, being the most intelligent creatures on the planet, we have the "right" to decide what gets to live and what gets to die. But that right doesn't belong to us. Doesn't matter where you come from. If you're of faith, that right belongs to your God. If you're not of faith, it's still not your choice. It belongs to "fate/nature/gods/chance/etc." In this scenario, the dog is being killed because it injured (heaven forbid) a human. And in all simplicity, a human is not more or less important than a dog, or a cat, or a fish, or a butterfly. Nor is the dog/cat/fish/butterfly more important than us. As Rebecca said, we wouldn't do this to a child, or a perpetrator of domestic violence. Why do it to a dog?

 

 

and to give you a little background, this dog attack was compared to a child fight on a playground and domestic violence. I am arguing with idiots

[Texsox]

I assume I will be eating tonight the pork chop he doesn't eat.

 

I'm with y'all, bite my kid and you're dead.

[Iwritecode]

I've never understood why people with children keep those dogs as pets. Even if it's statistically high, why subject your children to that risk?

 

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bullmastiff.htm

 

The Bullmastiff is a devoted, alert guard dog, with a good-natured temperament. Docile and affectionate, but fearless if provoked. Although unlikely to attack, it will catch an intruder, knock him down and hold him. At the same time, it is tolerant of children. Intelligent, even-tempered, calm and loyal.

 

The Bullmastiff is extremely powerful and needs a firm master, who is confident and consistent with the rules set upon the dog.

 

Sounds like bad owners.

[Kyyle23]

I agree it sounds like bad owners, although sometimes certain dogs are just bad, high strung. My grandfather had a great dane like that. He had great danes all throughout my life, and they were all the sweetest dogs. Then he got Marmaduke, and that dog had to be kenneled every time people came over because it bit people. It ended up being euthanized after taking my grandfathers grandson(second marraige) down and giving him 15 stitches across the cheek.

 

All the same, if this dog bit my kids lip off because of a sound it heard, sorry but it has got to go.

[BigSqwert]

All the same, if this dog bit my kids lip off because of a sound it heard, sorry but it has got to go.

I understand where you're coming from but why is death the only option? Why not give him up to people who have the time and ability to work with problem dogs? Many of Michael Vick's dogs have even been rehabilitated.

Edited September 29, 2010 by BigSqwert

[Kyyle23]

I understand where you're coming from but why is death the only option? Why not give him up to people who have the time and ability to work with problem dogs? Many of Michael Vick's dogs have even been rehabilitated.

 

Vicks dogs werent attacking people, they were being trained to attack other dogs. To me, if a dog turns on someone like that for no particular reason and something that horrible happens, that is the only option. You dont have to agree with it, thats just where I stand. If this rehab happens, and the dog does it again, what happens next?

[BigSqwert]

If this rehab happens, and the dog does it again, what happens next?

 

It really doesn't matter what I say since you've made it clear in multiple posts that the dog must immediately die...no ifs, ands, or buts.

 

*shrug*

[JPN366]

Vicks dogs werent attacking people, they were being trained to attack other dogs. To me, if a dog turns on someone like that for no particular reason and something that horrible happens, that is the only option. You dont have to agree with it, thats just where I stand. If this rehab happens, and the dog does it again, what happens next?

 

Those are the lucky ones that weren't tortured to death.

[Milkman delivers]

This is the same guys followup:

 

 

 

and to give you a little background, this dog attack was compared to a child fight on a playground and domestic violence. I am arguing with idiots

 

That type of argument makes me want to euthanize a dog just to tell that guy to f*** off.

[SoxAce]

Pretty much all you guys (cept Sqwert ) have been on the money with this subject.

[LittleHurt05]

I agree with everyone that kids come first, the dog has to go, but I think Sqwert makes a valid point as well. Why does the dog have to die?? If there are shelters out there, that will take it, why not do that?

[StrangeSox]

You're going to have a very, very hard time adopting out a dog that bit a 9 year old. Even if potential adopters don't have children, there's still big liability there.

 

It's a terrible situation, but I see the only choices as "life in a shelter eating up resources other adoptable dogs might need" or "euthanasia".

[clyons]

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/bullmastiff.htm

 

 

 

 

 

Sounds like bad owners.

 

My bad. My eyes read "bull mastiff," but my brain processed "pit bull."

[Kyyle23]

You guys have no idea how idiotic the argument became. The last point made towards me was "I understand killing the dog is easier than being a responsible parent and pet owner"

 

My first point made was the dog needs to be trained before, not after the child is bitten. Once that bridge is crossed unfortunately it is hard to go back. There are places out there that rehab dogs like that, but you dont usually have time to get these dogs to those places after something like this happens. It is sad that a supposedly family dog is put down, but if it is my child, thats how it goes. I wouldnt want this to happen to someone else and know that it was supposed to be trained instead of euthanized