Parents Sleep As Pup Chews Off Baby's Toes

[pitc9]

OMG!

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/10514915/detail.html

Parents Sleep As Pup Chews Off Baby's Toes
Vet Thinks 6-Week-Old Puppy Tried To Nurse

POSTED: 7:22 am EST December 12, 2006

BOSSIER CITY, La. -- A Louisiana couple is facing negligence charges after a puppy chewed off four of a baby girl's toes.

They told police they were awakened by their 1-month-old baby's cries on Sunday morning, saw her mangled foot and rushed her to the hospital. But doctors couldn't reattach the toes.

A veterinarian speculates the 6-week-old pit bull puppy might have been trying to nurse.

"She had a severe injury to one foot, with most of the toes missing," Bossier City spokesman Mark Natale told The Shreveport Times. "Patrol officers who responded notified detectives, and after our juvenile detectives unit looked into it, they determined the child, who had been sleeping in a baby carrier next to her parents, had been bitten by the family's pit bull puppy, who appears to have gnawed on the child's foot."

Natale told the newspaper that the parents took a mattress into their living room to watch television and fell asleep. The child was in an infant seat beside them when the pup began chewing on her toes.

"They did not see the dog injuring the child," Natale said.

The animal will be quarantined for 10 days and checked for rabies since it is too young to have had rabies shots. It's unclear what will happen to it after that.

The baby is now in foster care until the case against her parents is settled. Her parents, Mary Shannon Hansche, 22, and Christopher Wayne Hansche, 26, have been booked for investigation of child desertion and criminal negligence.

If convicted, the parents face a fine of up to $500 and up to six months in prison

[ramanth]

Oiy vey!!! *slaps forehead* Puppies CHEW! Give the puppy proper toys and put the baby out of reach of said dog if you are going to fall asleep. Morons!!

Now the baby is injured and the puppy will be punished for doing what puppies do best which is CHEW!

[elizabethann]

My boss just told me about this! That poor baby and that poor puppy!

[critter crazy]

How the hell could the parents not notice something was wrong?? you gonna tell me that a baby isnt going to scream, its head off as a dog is chewing on its foot??? I mean come on, how long was that kid screaming before the parents paid any attention!!! There is no way those parents were in the same room, and if they were they had to have been drugged out of there minds not to hear that babys blood curdling screams!!!!

[Husky_mom]

what??? were the parents made of rock??.....how can you not hear/notice your baby/puppy noises......while just beside you??.....i hear mine even if they are way far...........

poor baby and poor puppy they were just in a realy bad "family".........

[jackmilliesmom]

Hello parents should be locked up or put to sleep they did not deserve to have a child or a puppy what is wrong with them. A pup will chew or try to nurse and the child should have been in a safe place anyway not just a chair or whatever - what were they thinking - idiots - the pup should be removed and given to a responsible owner and trained properly.I feel sorry for society if the parents are let away with this - this child should be taken away permanently....

[Luvin Labs]

wow that poor kid and poor puppy.

if they were going to nap they shoulda put the pup in another room or a cage or outside or something.

[GreyhoundGirl]

And now the pup will end up punished. For being a pup.

I really hope it doesn't have rabies though... scary thought.

[lizbud]

They should have the baby & the the pup taken away from them.

[GreyhoundGirl]

They should have the baby & the the pup taken away from them.

Agreed, they don't deserve such wonderful creatures in their care.

[areias]

Similar thing happened a few years ago, but they euthanized the puppy, to make sure his fingers were in there!

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/10/15/Hi...y_loses_.shtml

TAMPA - A family puppy, a chow and pit bullterrier mix, chewed four fingers off the paralyzed hand of a 6-year-old boy Monday as the child slept.

Dontavius Bryant, of 3507 E McBerry St. in Tampa, was still at St. Joseph's Hospital Tuesday, recovering from the injuries to his hand.

A neighbor said the boy and his family ate corndogs for dinner Sunday night, and like many youngsters, he may have forgotten to wash his hands before going to bed. The scent may have been what led the dog to chew on the child's fingers, said Diona Thomas, 35, a family friend who lives two doors down.

Police said while the boy slept, his family's puppy, a 51/2-week-old chow and pit bull mix, chewed four fingers off Dontavius' left hand.

Police said Dontavius, whose left hand was paralyzed from a hit-and-run accident last year, never felt a thing.

Dontavius' older brother, asleep next to him in the bed, woke up when he thought Dontavius had urinated in the bed. He turned on the lights.

"He saw blood all over the place," said Thomas.

Police said the puppy had chewed Dontavius' fingers down to his second knuckles.

Jerrolyn "Shawn" Dewberry, 27, rushed her son to St. Joseph's Hospital shortly after the 5 a.m. attack on Monday, police said. Dontavius remained at St. Joe's Tuesday night in good condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

"He's talking and moving around," Thomas said after visiting Dontavius, called "Tay-Tay" by his family. "I guess it didn't hit him yet. He was (at the hospital) playing Nintendo."

She said Dontavius attends kindergarten at Potter Elementary School. Dewberry remained at St. Joseph's with her son Tuesday, Thomas said; she could not be reached for comment.

Hillsborough animal control euthanized the puppy and performed a necropsy, police said, finding parts of Dontavius' fingers inside the dog's stomach.

Police hadn't filed any charges in the case as of Tuesday night. They said the investigation is continuing.

In October 2002, the driver of a pickup hit Dontavius and drove away. The hit-and-run left Dontavius partially paralyzed, without any feeling in his left hand, police said.

Thomas said Dontavius' hand felt "real soft" because of the accident. .

Dontavius and his two older brothers had received the puppy as a gift from their aunt two to three weeks ago, Thomas said; they called the puppy "Chaka."

"I believe the dog didn't know what he was doing," Thomas said. "He was friendly. Everybody loved him."

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I saw that on the news. I felt so sorry for the puppy. He was sitting there shaking he was so frightened!!!

I'm sorry for the baby too!!!

How could the parents sleep so soundly that they couldn't hear their baby who was supposed to be right beside them, screaming her head off????

You know she started screaming at the first nibble!!!

The poor puppy may be teething himself and didn't know what he was doing.

[CathyBogart]

How could anyone think a six week old puppy....with needle-sharp teeth, who hasn't learned yet what is and is not appropriate play behavior whould be left unattended with an infant!? I hope that puppy is able to find someone with at least two brain cells to rub together to take care of him.

[pitc9]

OMG!
areias... I can't believe there's another story like it!
Wow.... it's sad all the way around.
Well.. not the parents in the story I posted about, they just need to never have kids or animals again for ever.
But the story you posted... holy CRAP!
That's all I can... holy C-R-A-P!!!

[areias]

OMG!
areias... I can't believe there's another story like it!
Wow.... it's sad all the way around.
Well.. not the parents in the story I posted about, they just need to never have kids or animals again for ever.
But the story you posted... holy CRAP!
That's all I can... holy C-R-A-P!!!

I think it was sad-although I believe no one is to blame in my story, the puppy still got PTS.

I don't understand the parents in your article-how can you not hear your baby screaming? When it's right next to you? I smell foul play.