Child Loses A Hand

[Carita]

This is such a sad story.. I just hope the dog doesn't become a victim & the child recovers physically & emotionally.

AN eight-year-old girl has lost a hand and remains in hospital in an unknown condition after she was attacked by a dog in front of other children in Valentine on Saturday afternoon.

Police were called to a house on The Park Chase, in Valentine Gardens Estate, just after 3pm and found the girl with injuries below her right elbow.

She was rushed to John Hunter Hospital for emergency surgery on Saturday night, but the operation was unsuccessful and her hand was unable to be saved, police said.

Speaking through a hospital spokeswoman, the girl’s parents declined to give any information on her condition on Sunday.

Inspector Gerard Lawson, duty officer for Newcastle Local Area Command, said the girl was on the street, playing in a cul de sac with other children when she put her arm underneath a fence to pat one of the three Alaskan Malamutes who lived there.

One of dogs then bit the girl, leaving her with severe injuries.

‘‘There were other children in the area playing, under supervision of an adult,’’ Inspector Lawson said.

‘‘An investigation has been launched by Lake Macquarie City Council rangers and they’re being assisted by Lake Macquarie detectives.

‘‘At no time has it been suggested the dog was out of its yard.’’

Neighbours said the girl did not live in the street but visited often to play with friends who did.

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[Jemmy]

Facebook is already full of comments saying the dog needs to be put down and the owners need to be responsible for ensuring there are no gaps that children can reach through if their dog is that vicious.

[BlaznHotAussies]

So...why was she putting her hand near a dog's mouth?

Parents should be teaching their children NOT to pat strange dogs. Especially when they're behind a fence!! That suggests the dog is NOT public property. Surely!

[Dame Aussie]

She wont do it again that's for sure!

I never would have done that as a kid, with a strange dog on it's own territory especially, I don't remember but I can only guess my parents told me not to.

[Simply Grand]

Mmmm, I'm not actually sure how I feel about this. A dog that would bite a human's hand to the point that the hand couldn't be saved? That's pretty extreme no matter what the circumstances.

The dog would have smelled "human" through a fence, a small hand under a fence is unlikely to be interpreted as a major threat by a stable dog. Perhaps this dog should have been better contained.

[Dame Aussie]

It may never have done anything wrong before, it was in it's own yard behind a fence. Plus we don't know if it had been teased or worked up either.

Personally I wouldn't have a fence with any gaps but then I've heard of kids climbing fences too . You can't always protect people from themselves.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Dame Aussie

[Little Gifts]

It is possible the girl's hand was damaged not only by the dog but by her trying to yank it back through the fence immediately after she was bitten. I think that would be a natural human reaction.

I had a worrying situation like this once. A man was renting across the road with what was maybe an ADD type kid. He was only about 5 or 6 but I often saw him up at the T intersection from where I live on the wander. I don't think his father could cope with him. One day I discovered that he had come in to my yard, had gone through the front garden and through the small side gate (always kept bolted) and had been trying to feed my dogs under the taller back fence (which was always key locked). My dogs are fenced back from the house and street because I don't want them at risk of strangers. They were used to kids but were protective of their property (we'd had a home invasion) and I was terrified as I really had no idea if my dogs would consider him a threat sticking his hands under the wooden gate. They hadn't eaten any of the sandwiches he'd left so I have to assume they were suspicious. And we are only talking a couple of centimetres gap - there was a concrete strip under that gate so the dogs couldn't get out and people couldn't get in but hands were not something I'd factored in.

[Carita]

This must be terrible for both the victim & her family as well as the dog & its family.

All three dogs have been removed from the property by the Rangers.

Kids do the most stupid things. That child found a gap in the landscaping where a sleeper had fallen over .

There were about 8 kids playing there & under adult supervision.

[BarbedWire]

Mmmm, I'm not actually sure how I feel about this. A dog that would bite a human's hand to the point that the hand couldn't be saved? That's pretty extreme no matter what the circumstances.

The dog would have smelled "human" through a fence, a small hand under a fence is unlikely to be interpreted as a major threat by a stable dog. Perhaps this dog should have been better contained.

I agree with this

[Rascalmyshadow]

Very unfair to the poor dogs and owners, dogs contained on their own property and they still get the blame.

Why are people still not taking responsibility for theirs and their kids actions!

I know many nice dogs that would bite under the same circumstances, about time this generation of kids are taught some decent manners and respect especially for other people's property.

An eight year old should know better, I feel sorry for her but the dogs and owners should not be penalised.

[Purdie]

I can't believe people are blaming the victim once again.An 8 year old child .You can tell kids not to do something and guess what sometimes they do it anyway because they are kids not adults.

It is about time people stopped breeding and owning aggressive dogs,Society needs stable human friendly pets; not ones that maim and kill.

[Lhok]

The dogs were behind their fence though, I am sure the owners thought they were suitably contained as in they can't escape and cause problems.

Yes kids do dumb stuff and yes you can tell them many times not to do things and they will anyway. I don't think the dog owners should be blamed though. You don't know if the dogs were super aggressive, I know many a dog wouldn't like someone sticking their limbs into their property. It also is a huge jump to say BAD DOG for attacking a child but if that person sticking their hand into the yard was an adult or someone about to intrude and steal something everyone would be saying good dog.

I do honestly think parents should be more proactive with teaching personal responsibility and that their children can't just help themselves to everything they want. (I am a parent of small children)

--Lhok

[The Spotted Devil]

Very sorry for all involved.

[Animal House]

Poor kid, losing a hand. Very sad situation all round.

[teekay]

I can't believe people are blaming the victim once again.An 8 year old child .You can tell kids not to do something and guess what sometimes they do it anyway because they are kids not adults.

It is about time people stopped breeding and owning aggressive dogs,Society needs stable human friendly pets; not ones that maim and kill.

So if a kid runs out into the road and gets knocked down by a car is that the car driver's fault? Yes kids do things they shouldn't but that doesn't mean they aren't to blame for the consequences.

[BarbedWire]

I can't believe people are blaming the victim once again.An 8 year old child .You can tell kids not to do something and guess what sometimes they do it anyway because they are kids not adults.

It is about time people stopped breeding and owning aggressive dogs,Society needs stable human friendly pets; not ones that maim and kill.

So if a kid runs out into the road and gets knocked down by a car is that the car driver's fault? Yes kids do things they shouldn't but that doesn't mean they aren't to blame for the consequences.

What if the car had faulty brakes?

[Canisbellum]

Making excuses for people doing stupid things is an Australian curse and has led to a generation of half wits. The blame belongs to the parents and the child plain and simple.

[Roova]

Kids are unpredictable, what if a child made it in to the yard. I wonder if they would have made it out again?

Is seems an extreme reaction for a dog to maul a tiny hand so much it had to be removed!

[Pjrt]

I feel for everyone involved.

None of us were there so apportioning blame is a guessing game at best.

I have to say I somewhat agree with Purdies sentiments regarding the types of dogs we should be expecting to surround us in a modern urban environment.

And I have to say personally, if that were my own dog, I would say a gentle goodbye at the vets. No, it's not the dogs fault, maybe it is somewhat the child's fault, maybe it is somewhat the dog owners fault, maybe it is somewhat the person supervising the children's fault, maybe it is somewhat the child's parents fault. It's a tragic debacle but I know I could not look at or trust my own dog the same way again. I would probably be angry for external forces putting us into that position, and feel like I had failed my own dog, but my dog would have to go bye bye.

[Lhok]

Kids are unpredictable, what if a child made it in to the yard. I wonder if they would have made it out again?

Is seems an extreme reaction for a dog to maul a tiny hand so much it had to be removed!

If the gap under the fence was small, and the child could only fit so much of their hand under it. The dog grabbed it and pulled it under that could have severed the hand.

I do wonder how far anyone has to go to prevent people from entering yards that the person entering has no place to be. I have a metal fence that is over 6 foot tall and the gates are chained and locked. Yet I have entered the place and found people in my yard..

--Lhok