Four-year-old Girl Killed By Family Dog In Mountsorrel - Uk

[melzawelza]

Very sad. A bad look for rescue dogs as a whole. I wish we knew what happened immediately preceding the attack, and whether the mother was there supervising. It says that she was saying that she was told by the rescue that the dog was good with kids - I wonder if she took that to mean that she didn't have to watch or be concerned?

Unfortunately the UK focuses heavily on breed when it comes to dog attacks, and their BSL is very strong. We know that the flip side of BSL that is so dangerous is that people assume that if their dog isn't a 'banned breed' it's automatically safe.

Pictures at link

FIRST PICTURES of Lexi Hudson - the four-year-old girl killed by her family dog in Mountsorrel

5 Nov 2013 21:10

Her mother Jodi picked up a knife and stabbed the 'Turner and Hooch' French Mastiff breed to death before she fled screaming from her flat covered in blood

Horrific: Lexi Hudson and the dog which mauled her to death Horrific: Lexi Hudson and the dog which mauled her to death

Facebook

A four-year-old girl has been killed after being horrifically attacked by the family’s pet dog.

Lexi Hudson was “shaken like a rag doll” as her mum Jodi desperately tried to free her from the jaws of the animal.

Friends said Jodi picked up a knife and stabbed the dog to death before she fled screaming from her flat and covered in blood.

They said the family had only owned the dog – believed to be a breed called Dogue de Bordeaux made famous in the film Turner and Hooch - for a matter of weeks after getting it from a rescue centre.

And they said Lexi’s death was particularly tragic as she had survived against the odds as a baby, having been born three months premature, weighing just 1lb 10z.

Lexi Hudson Savaged: Lexi Hudson

Facebook

Shocked friend Samantha Clarke, 26, said she was horrified as she watched Jodi, 30, flee her flat in Mountsorrel, Leics.

She said: “I saw her run into the street and she was screaming, and I tried to comfort her. It’s so sad - and shocking.”

Arthur Nash, 67, said: “I saw Jodi after it happened. Apparently she stabbed the dog to death.

“She was stood in the car park covered in blood.

“I held her hand for a little while but she was totally gone. She was in complete and utter shock.

“Lexi was in the ambulance while the paramedics worked on her and the air ambulance was circling overhead.”

Ambulance crews rushed the girl to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham at around 12.15pm today but she later died of her injuries.

Another friend Paul Ryan said: “I saw Jodi as they were taking Lexi away to hospital - she was in hysterics, and kept saying that she was told that the dog was safe around children.

Jodi Hudson mother of Lexi Hudson, Jodi Hudson mother of Lexi Hudson,

Facebook

“Jodi is absolutely distraught. She’s only had the dog for two months.

“She picked it up from the pound - it was a dog that had suffered abuse in the past but she said it had a very soft nature.

“Lexi was always playing with it.

“It’s obviously a huge dog and Lexi wouldn’t have stood a chance if it went for her - she’s such a small little girl.

“Jodi used to try and walk the dog on a lead, but it would struggle and pulled her over a few times.

“She would never have dreamt in a million years that something like this could have happened.

“She absolutely adored Lexi, she was her only child and she absolutely doted on her.

“This is absolutely tragic. We’re all in a state of shock.”

Shock: Lexi Hudson and the pet dog

Facebook

The dog - also called a French Mastiff - died in the minutes after the incident. It is not one of the breeds banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

The exact circumstances of the incident still remain unclear, although friends and neighbours said Jodi had killed it as she fought to save Lexi.

Another pal Glenn Shepphard, 36, said: “I saw Jodi outside with blood and mud up her arm crying outside and mud all up her legs.

“She had obviously tried to wrestle with the dog.

“I only knew the mum to say hello to, she asked me to come across to see the new dog a couple of weeks ago.

“It was a very big dog - a type I have never seen before.

“It just sat on the sofa and barked at me - it was loud but didn’t seem aggressive.

“About three ambulances turned up with three police cars - I don’t know if they destroyed the dog there and then or if she died at the scene.

“It’s such a tragedy.”

Another neighbour in the town of Mountsorrel who asked not to be named, said: “She was a lovely lively little girl, always playing nearby.

“I heard neighbours saying how the mum told police how her daughter was shaken like a rag doll as she tried to get her free.

“It was an attack by their new family dog.

“I’m not sure of the breed but it was a large dog.

“It’s stunned everyone here. She was just a child.”

Darren Price, 32, who lived a few doors away, said dogs are banned from their estate.

He said: “I am a father-of-two and for this to happen so close to home is horrible.

“It could have been anyone’s children.

“I’m pretty sure that dogs are not allowed on the estate, I believe it is because there are a lot of elderly people who live here and children too.

“The dog was fairly new, they only had the one pet, I’m not sure where it came from but obviously they shouldn’t have had it here and it is a terrible tragedy.”

Rowena Court in Mountsorrel Estate: Rowena Court in Mountsorrel

Google Maps

Lexi was branded a ‘miracle baby’ when she was born three months premature weighing just 1lb 10oz.

She was Jodi’s only child and she commented on a baby picture of Lexi on Facebook saying: “She was about a week old the first time I could hold her. You wouldn’t believe she was that small to look at her now.”

Following Lexi’s death a friend tweeted: “Thoughts are with Jodi!! Sleep tight Lexi. Taken too soon. R.I.P little princess.”

Local councillor John Capleton said: “I just feel it’s probably the worst thing that can happen to anyone, to see a child die is just the most devastating thing that can happen to anyone.”

A spokeswoman for Leicestershire Police said: “Police were called to a flat in Rowena Court in Mountsorrel at about 12.14pm following a report of a young girl being injured after she was attacked by a dog.

“The dog is believed to have been the family pet.

“The child was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham where she has since died.

“The dog died shortly after the incident.

“Officers are carrying at enquiries at the scene and investigations are at their very early stages.”

Melanie Wright, spokesman for East Midlands Ambulance Service, said they received a “distressing” 999 call.

“The caller reported an injured child who had been attacked by a dog in Mountsorrel. This was a distressing 999 call and we are providing support to our colleagues who responded.”

[mixeduppup]

That is terrible.

[Kirislin]

Horrendous

[raz]

Just horrific

[persephone]

Oh... that poor woman - those images and events in her mind forever now

R I P little girl

run free big dog .....

[Alison03]

That poor women she'll never get over it, that horrible scene replaying in her mind over and over. : (

People have to realize that when they bring a dog into their house, it can under the wrong circumstances turn into a killer, this incident is a very hard way to learn that lesson. That poor innocent little girl, it's very sad. : (

[kelpiecuddles]

It just sat on the sofa and barked at me - it was loud but didn’t seem aggressive

Is it just me or does this statement ring alarm bells with anyone else?

[mixeduppup]

It just sat on the sofa and barked at me - it was loud but didn’t seem aggressive

Is it just me or does this statement ring alarm bells with anyone else?

Yep and the out of control walking. I wonder which rescue she got it from and what kind of pre-adoption assessments the dogs go through.

[kelpiecuddles]

I love, love , love big dogs BUT I doubt I'd ever get one as a rescue with unknown background while my children were small. A big dog, raised from a puppy in your own home properly socialised and supervised with children yes but an unknown rescue no. Just my personal feelings but unless you have a very detailed knowledge of the dogs previous life there can be so many unknown that may show themselves at any time with any rescue dog.

Edited November 6, 2013 by kelpiecuddles

[Dame Aussie]

I have a rescue dog who is around 50kg, he can pull on walks sometimes but that hardly means he's getting ready to tear some child's throat out.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

It just sat on the sofa and barked at me - it was loud but didn’t seem aggressive

Is it just me or does this statement ring alarm bells with anyone else?

Yep and the out of control walking. I wonder which rescue she got it from and what kind of pre-adoption assessments the dogs go through.

Utterly horrific.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster with the dog living in a unit and not being walked, having no way to let off steam etc. Places are very small over there. Sounds like the warning signs would most likely have been missed.

I've got a younger foster dog here from a terrible background, for work reasons I hadn't managed to walk him for the last two days (I've had him for 6 months) which is very unusual for me. Last night he got over excited and as I walked past him leapt up and nipped me on the leg, quite hard. I was a bit surprised but blame myself because this is what can happen, the dog starts getting frustrated ...

They don't have pounds in the UK so he must have come from a Shelter, sadly they need to completely review their rehoming practices and make sure that dogs don't go into situations that don't suit them.

[kelpiecuddles]

I'm not saying he is Aussie but how much do you know of his background? Do you know for sure he's never shown aggression, do you know for sure he's been well socialised around small children?

I ummed and ahhed over whether to buy my basset as a pup or whether to source an adult, I decided that for me at the stage we were at with having babies, etc I needed the certainty of training and socialising my dog the way I wanted it done from the time she was a puppy. Our family has grown up with mastiffs and mastiff crosses, I'm very comfortable around big dogs but with any rescue dog there will always be an element of the unknown.

[Simply Grand]

How terrible, the poor poor woman

Agree about the things mentioned above ringing warning bells, and like Melza I wonder if the child was left alone with the dog.

[Dame Aussie]

I'm not saying he is Aussie but how much do you know of his background? Do you know for sure he's never shown aggression, do you know for sure he's been well socialised around small children?

I ummed and ahhed over whether to buy my basset as a pup or whether to source an adult, I decided that for me at the stage we were at with having babies, etc I needed the certainty of training and socialising my dog the way I wanted it done from the time she was a puppy. Our family has grown up with mastiffs and mastiff crosses, I'm very comfortable around big dogs but with any rescue dog there will always be an element of the unknown.

Not a lot, but we don't have kids so it's a bit different anyway. It still wouldn't have put me off him but I understand you're point.

I just think we don't know much, and shouldn't just decide this was a bad dog. We dont know if the child did something to hurt the dog etc. not making excuses of course.

[pebbles]

The police have confirmed it's not the dog in the picture. The child was asleep in the bed with her Mother when the dog came in and attacked. Few things on there that I can't follow? Poor little girl R.I.P.

[Guest Ams]

My sympathy to the family. One of the photos shows the child eating whilst leaning against the dog. Not something I'd be doing if I'd only recently got a dog that size.

[mixeduppup]

My sympathy to the family. One of the photos shows the child eating whilst leaning against the dog. Not something I'd be doing if I'd only recently got a dog that size.

Police have confirmed this was not the dog that attacked the child. they are currently DNA testing the dog in question which is not pictured.

[BlackJaq]

http://www.leics.police.uk/news-appeals/news/2013/11/06/death-of-four-year-old-girl-in-mountsorrel-name-confirmed#.UnhxqXBdDE0

ests are being carried out today to establish the exact breed of the dog but at this stage it is not believed to be a breed listed under Section 1 of the Dangerous Dogs Act. We can confirm however that the dog being investigated is not the one in the picture that is being widely circulated in the media.

[sandgrubber]

Has anyone questioned the rescue? Before deciding on an opinion, I'd like to know something about the dog's history. If there was temperament screening, it would be good to know how it failed. Taking a sleeping baby out of bed when it is sleeping with its mother is unusual behavior for any dog.

[BlackJaq]

Has anyone questioned the rescue? Before deciding on an opinion, I'd like to know something about the dog's history. If there was temperament screening, it would be good to know how it failed. Taking a sleeping baby out of bed when it is sleeping with its mother is unusual behavior for any dog.

The article says she got it "from a pound". sounds like she called it "a rescue" but it was not actually from a reputable rescue...