Two charged in dog mauling death of Quebec newborn *EDIT

[Catty1]

There are other dog attack cases recently, a couple in Calgary - but. as horribly tragic as they are (especially here), I am glad to see that people are being charged instead of the dogs alone being blamed.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loc...ub=CalgaryHome

Two charged in dog mauling death of Quebec newborn



Both dogs were taken away by animal control. The animals will be checked for rabies and other diseases and to determine which dog was involved in the attack.

Police say the baby was killed in a home in Saint-Barnabe-Sud, about 65 kilometres northeast of Montreal, on Monday, June 7, 2010.

Updated: Tue Jun. 08 2010 08:19:04

CTV.ca News Staff

A 17-year-old mother and a 37-year-old grandmother have been arrested after a three-week-old baby girl was mauled to death by a husky dog.

Quebec provincial police say the pair will be charged with criminal negligence causing death.

Police say the baby was killed in a home in Saint-Barnabe-Sud, about 65 kilometres northeast of Montreal, Monday afternoon. When police arrived they found the lifeless child, two women, and the two husky dogs.

Surete du Quebec Sgt. Ronald McInnis told CTV.ca that two young families lived on the property. The 17-year-old mother's family lived in an apartment on the second floor, while the other family who owned the two dogs lived on the main floor. The 37-year-old grandmother was visiting the home to help her daughter.

According to the police investigation, the baby was strapped into a baby seat on the floor in the apartment while the mother and grandmother went outside. While they were outside, one of the dogs attacked and killed the infant.

The mother and grandmother were taken to hospital to be treated for shock. Both were arrested after they were released.

The 37-year-old woman is scheduled to be arraigned at the St. Hyacinthe courthouse Tuesday afternoon. Her daughter will appear in youth court.

CTV Montreal spoke to a woman and her husband who share the property with the baby's parents. The woman said the three-year-old dogs were docile house pets who roamed freely but that had never attacked anyone.

Both dogs were taken away by animal control. The animals will be checked for rabies and other diseases and to determine which dog was involved in the attack. It's not yet clear whether the dogs will be put down.

[Queen of Poop]

My first thought and a horrible one it was, was that they set these poor dogs up.

[Catty1]

OMG, Gail - I hope not. That's a newborn!

The mother and grandmother were taken to hospital to be treated for shock. Both were arrested after they were released.

I hope that part is true...shock has to be pretty severe to be taken to a hospital.

Huge dogs, little baby - the dogs may have been playing, but same result. RIP poor baby.

[Queen of Poop]

I sure hope not too. But the way the news explained it this morning sure left me with a funny taste in my mouth for sure. It's an all around horrible situation. I feel so badly for everyone involved, people and dogs and worst of all for that 3 week old baby.

[Husky_mom]

I´m always sad for the dogs... could be play.. could be not.. could be prey drive.. who knows... but despite ANY dogs reaction.. why on earth you leave a 3wk old baby on the floor unsupervised while "you go out".. man.. I didn´t even went to the WC without taking baby with me..

it doesn´t matter how well behaved or great your dog is around your kid.. in all excitement a baby can be bumped, stepped, jumped on, scratched in mere playful manner... being supervised reduces this a LOT if not all..

I simply don´t understand some people.. you could say the mom, 17, might not have that "instinct" yet.. but grandmom?.. come on...

[phesina]

I heard about this on the radio (CBC Radio 2) while I was driving home yesterday. I was so revolted I nearly swerved off the road. Why do some people even HAVE kids?

I thought they said mommy and granny went outside, leaving the baby with the dogs, to have a smoke. .. and that the mother was arrested but the grandmother wasn't, or else granny was arrested but then released.

[Catty1]

Granny was arrested and then not charged.

The 17-year-old has been charged with manslaughter, which has struck some as being unusually harsh.

CBC news had some interviews with a few of her friends...some late teens, early 20s at most. One had a baby, another a toddler, several very tattooed. The dad identified himself - he is 19. He defended his wife - not what she did, but that she would not be willfully bad, that she loved her child.

He said he had a funeral to arrange...they are expensive and he has no job.

Sounds like there is a lot of sadness in that community.

NB - to tattoo lovers, the tattoos in themselves are not bad. Added to the whole community picture though, it's a piece of the whole.

[snakemama]

I've seen Jasper be extraordinarily gentle with babies and day-old kittens...but I'd never EVER leave him unattended with either. Who leaves a three-week-old baby alone with two dogs? All it would have taken is one mis-aimed playful bounce on the part of a husky to cause such a tragedy.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

it said the baby lived in the upstairs apartment and the dogs lived in the house below. Did the dogs go upstairs, or did they leave the baby on the ground floor?

I thought the only way to "test" for rabies was to submit the dog's head to a lab? Maybe since the baby died there's no hurry so they're just quarentining the dogs to watch for symptoms?

[snakemama]

it said the baby lived in the upstairs apartment and the dogs lived in the house below. Did the dogs go upstairs, or did they leave the baby on the ground floor?

I thought the only way to "test" for rabies was to submit the dog's head to a lab? Maybe since the baby died there's no hurry so they're just quarentining the dogs to watch for symptoms?

This is probably what they're doing. When I worked as a tech, any rabies suspects spent two weeks in quarantine. By the end of the two weeks, it will be obvious whether the dogs are infected or not.

[Catty1]

The baby was brought down to the main floor, the dogs lived there. The baby was secured in a car seat; mom went out on the balcony for a smoke and grandma joined her. Then they heard a commotion with the dogs and went back in...too late.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

that makes no sense. If the baby lived on the upper floor and mom was smoking on the balcony (generally not found on lower floors, LOL) why even take the baby downstairs at all?

EDIT: nevermind, the dogs came upstairs, since the baby was found in the apt.

[wolfsoul]

That's really very sad. I honestly don't think the mother should be charged; Isn't it enough that jher baby is dead and she'll never see it again? The baby was TEN FEET away from it's mother; Anyone would think that having your child ten feet from you in it's own home would be safe. She was out for a smoke; I'd rather leave my child strapped in a carseat on the other side of a door than breathe cigarette smoke onto her.
Usually in cases like this the dogs' owner would be the one facing manslaughter; I don't even understand how this poor woman has been charged, basically for murdering her own baby. Did she even know the dogs were there? She probably didn't even think about it. A stupid mistake, but certainly not intended. I feel really bad for her; Her whole life is ruined.