Vocal Voices

Another toddler has been killed after being attack by a bull terrier type of dog, this time in St Helens, Lancashire.
It is a horrible tragedy. But why on earth would you have that kind of dog in a house where there are toddlers?
This happens every year, people just don't seem to learn.

Our dog started attacking people for no reason. Our second Grandson was just born and was coming to live with us. Mrs S had her checked out and it turned out she had cancer. We had her put down because the risk was way too high and we could not abandon her to someone else, she would not have understood having lived with us most of her life and her being ill.

Nearly broke Mrs S to do it but we had to do it.

Some people simply won't understand the risk.

ALL dogs, even small breeds, are or can be, a danger to babies and small children. It depends on their individual temperament and, of course, their upbringing and training - the dogs, that is.

Them being in the home is not the problem, per se, them being left alone with a child in the same place and unsupervised, is. That should never, ever, happen and it is down to the owners to ensure that is never the case.

I can see calls for dog owner training to be mandatory. Prospective owners have to take a course on the basics before a dog can be kept. I can also imagine dog licenses being brought back.

Our dog would never have hurt a child normally. But then we would never have left a child with her anyway. It only takes seconds.

We have two dogs now and a grandchild that age. There is no way either of them will be left alone with her now she can visit. Even though neither dog is the kind to attack. It is just too much risk.

10 seconds inattention, regret for life. Mind you her mother is a vet who has just completed her masters in behavioural animal psychology. Unlikely to forget.

We love dogs in this house, but would never ever leave a dog alone with a toddler - even our soppy old Fraggle.

I am so glad to see we are all on board with not leaving pets and toddlers alone together.

Sadly many pet owners do not even know of this most basic of rules, nor a few others:

How much exercise does the dog need? Where? When? Who does it? Toileting?

What will it eat? Where? When?

Where will it sleep? On what?

Just a few basics new owners should ask themselves.

Unfortunately many do not think of these, they just want the dog.

Sadly, Frank, you're right