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ANIMAL WATCH - On April 12, a Pit Bull owned by an Ohio family, killed an adorable 7-month-old baby girl who was being raised around him since birth and trusted him. This family also owned two other Pit Bulls, and a reporter for The Mirror interviewed the mother who stated, “I will never understand why!”
With this type of attack now occurring regularly and being reported nationwide, it is becoming increasingly difficult to decipher whether these tragic events are a surprise or an intentional gamble to try to prove that Pit Bulls are loving pets and not a danger to communities, which is not working out well.
“I will never understand why!!!,” the mother of the deceased child Mackenzie Copley wrote on a Facebook page which has now been taken down, and but had shown photos of the adorable baby cuddling with one of the family’s Pitties. .
The mother added, “I am so lost and broken. This was the same dog who was side by side with my baby every single day.”. The baby, Elizah Turner, was described as “never without a smile.”
The child’s father, Kameron Turner, also took to social media to express his grief. “Life is so not fair,” Turner wrote. “How can I continue living without her.”
“Elizah’s face would light up the room and her laugh was contagious,” her obituary reads.
The exact circumstances of the fatal incident were unclear. Elizah Turner was savagely attacked by one of the family’s dogs, according to police, who noted the situation escalated quickly. No other details were made public. It’s unclear which of the family’s three dogs bit the child.
Franklin County Animal Control took all three dogs after the tragedy and will decide what happens to them after an investigation, according to the report.
The mother posted photos on Facebook of the baby sleeping near the dog, saying she “will never understand what happened.”
Columbus Police called it a tragic accident. ‘”There is really not a lot of words I can say to convey how I feel,” Columbus Police Sgt. James Fuqua told WBNS.
Ember Southard was the youngest in a large extended family. The family is planning for a funeral and said they “weren’t up to speaking on camera.
Jimmie Lee, a dog trainer in the area, was interviewed and said, “she didn't know the family, but what happened broke her heart. But it didn’t seem to curtail her enthusiasm for Pit Bull ownership by people have infants or small children. She said, “She's hoping other parents and grandparents can learn how to bring dogs and young children safely together from this tragedy.”
Dog Trainer Blames Parents
She advised, “It's just gut-wrenching to think that this happened because it is preventable." she said, and recommended, “Take your time, take it so slow so that the dog, by the time the dog is used to the baby, it's been months.”
However, she didn’t take into consideration that it had already been months that the Pit Bull was sizing up the baby for attack. The baby was too young to have responsibility for the actions of a dog that far outweighed her and was foisted upon her by parents that apparently didn’t believe the truth about the breed.
Her suggestion was “anytime a child is in the vicinity of a dog, even a pet you believe would never become violent,” there should always be an adult between baby and the dog.” She said that becomes even more important with some dog breeds like Pit Bulls.
Ember's family wants to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. They said to follow safe sleep rules and keep pets away from babies. They are asking for prayers as they plan the funeral.
THE PIT BULL CENTER
The Pit Bull Center explains the high incidence of reported attacks by Pit Bulls--now almost every day--in this way: “In 2007, there were four reported dog bite incidents. One was by a Pitbull and the other three were by other breeds. The attack involving a Pitbull was covered by 230 different local and international news agencies while the attacks involving the other breeds were only covered by one or two local newspapers.”
The PBC spokesperson added, “This does not dispute the fact that Pitbull attacks do occur, but it’s also a fact that all dog breeds bite when provoked. The only difference is that the Pitbull’s bite force is much more severe compared to other smaller dog breeds.”
However, in the current case, from the description by the mother, there was no “provocation.” And, it is hard to believe that a small baby could so “provoke” a large dog who was free to leave the area, that he would kill—especially a child who had been raised with him in the same household.
Also, the New York Post described this horrendous event as a “tragic accident.”
Screenshots of three dogs that appear to be Pit Bulls being led away from the house by Franklin County Animal Control officers after the baby girl was attacked on Wednesday, (Newsweek reports. WSYX ABC6 FOX28)
The attack reportedly occurred at a home in south Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday morning, and the baby who was the victim suffered serious injuries. She was immediately rushed by her mother to a local hospital. She was then transported to Nationwide Children's Hospital, but was pronounced dead later in the morning, according to Newsweek.
Newsweek states it contacted the Columbus Division of Police for comment and learned that the family is not likely to face charges, but they are encouraging the public to educate themselves on how to secure pets from small children.
Two of the dogs were placed easily in the animal control van, but the third required the professional expertise of the officers to be removed from the home, reports say. information has currently been released about the breed of dogs involved in the attack.
According to a neighbor, the family had just moved to the home a week before the attack.
Columbus police spokesman Sgt. James Fuqua said the incident was a "tragic situation."
In Ohio, most dog law violations are seen as misdemeanors with fines starting at $25. However, if there is documentation of a dog's previous violent behavior before it goes on to kill someone, the owner could face felony charges.
ALABAMA BABY KILLED BY GREAT-GRAND PARENTS PIT BULL
On March 20, WVTM-13 in Alabaster reported that a 6-month-old girl, named Ember, was attacked and killed by one of the family’s two Pit Bull while with her great-grandparents in Alabaster, Alabama, last week.
Family members explained that one of the “great-grandparent was holding baby Ember, who fell asleep cuddled in their arms.”
‘Then the elderly adult also fell asleep. At some point, the baby “rolled from the relative’s arms and fell and, when she cried, it apparently caused the family’s Pit Bull to attack.”
Ember was reportedly “taken from the home on 10th Street Southwest to Children's of Alabama Hospital, where she later died.”
Ember Southard was the youngest in a large extended family, according to the report. Although the family is making funeral arrangements, they expressed that they weren’t “up to speaking on camera.”
They are asking for prayers,” according to WVTM-13.
Police said the family's Pit Bulls were transported to a veterinarian's office to be placed under quarantine. This is a standard protocol when the owner cannot provide proof of up-to-date rabies vaccination. The report also states that “they were not certain which of the dogs, or if both, were involved in the attack, or if they had been euthanized.”
Ember Southard was the youngest in a large extended family. The family is planning for a funeral and wasn’t up to speaking on camera.
Jimmie Lee, a dog trainer in the area, was interviewed and said, “she didn't know the family, but what happened broke her heart. But it didn’t seem to curtail her enthusiasm for Pit Bull ownership by people have infants or small children. She said, “She's hoping other parents and grandparents can learn how to bring dogs and young children safely together from this tragedy.”
Dog Trainer Blames Parents
She advised, “It's just gut-wrenching to think that this happened because it is preventable, "she said. She recommended “Take your time, take it so slow so that the dog, by the time the dog is used to the baby, it's been months.”
However, she didn’t take into consideration that it had already been months that the Pit Bull was allegedly sizing up the baby for attack. The baby was too young to have responsibility for the actions of a dog that far outweighed her and was foisted upon her by parents that apparently didn’t believe the truth about the breed.
Her suggestion was to create a safe space anytime a child is in the vicinity of a dog, even a pet you believe would never become violent, ”There should always be an adult between baby and the dog.” She said that becomes even more important with some dog breeds like pit bulls.
“They were bred to kill another dog. Now, does it mean all of them are like that. But we have to be aware that any dog can do that. Any dog, you know, it can be a Chihuahua, it can be any dog because they have teeth, and they will bite. So, it's up to us to manage our environment, to keep the dog and baby separate.”
Ember's family wants to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else. They said to follow safe sleep rules and keep pets away from babies. They are asking for prayers as they plan for the funeral.
Pit Bulls Responsible for Most Fatalities by Dogs in the U.S.
According to dogsbite.org, an average of 33 people are killed in the U.S. each year by dogs. Two-thirds of those fatalities are caused by the pit bull terrier breed.
“Although Florida counties are prohibited from banning certain dog breeds, that was not the case 29 years ago when Miami-Dade County banned pit bull ownership; more recently, that ban was upheld in a 2012 vote. The penalty for having a pit bull in Miami-Dade County is $500.” (Read more here.)
IS THERE AN EFFORT TO “FORGIVE” DEATHS OF CHILDREN BUT SAVE PIT BULLS?
As early as March 2, 2011, a media release announced, “The Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter (BARCS), working in conjunction with Best Friends Animal Society announces its new Shelter Partners for Pit Bulls Project, with funding support from PetSmart Charities®.”
This $240,000 effort was described as “designed to encourage responsible pet guardianship and reduce euthanasia of Pit Bull terriers and similar-type dogs, as well as strive to improve the public's perception of this type of dog.”
But it is difficult to “improve the public’s perception” of any dog that endangers its owner and family and the community.”
Whatever the reason, validated reports of Pit Bulls attacking children and the elderly are increasing. Pit Bulls originally were used for bull-baiting and did not attack humans, by whom they were kept chained and totally dependent for food and water--because it would have meant their extinction.
This fosters a growing concern that increased Pit Bull adoption/lack of restrictions on ownership for the safety of the animal and humans can also divert attention from dog-fighting/gambling enterprises that would then survive and thrive in the shadows of any community.
See: 190 Pit Bulls Seized, Ex-Football Star LeShon Johnson Indicted on federal dog-fighting charges
(Phyllis M. Daugherty is a former Los Angeles City employee, an animal activist and a contributor to CityWatch.)
