In the eyes of the law they did ... because THEY, the adult humans, are responsible for their dog and for its actions ... therefore indirectly they DID kill the baby.

By the way, I agree entirely that in these circumstances a dog or dogs should always be euthanised - if only for the sake of the dog - who would want to take on a dog who had killed a baby?

Totally agree.

Admire your honesty regarding Tonks and the baby Catrin.Just goes to show even the softest,easy going dog can be effected by the arrival and presence of let's face it,something they've never seen in their lives.Actually Tonks reacting in that way,in your case,turned out to be a good thing.You were cautious and sought advice on how to handle the situation.Also the fact,you understood the signs she was displaying,weren't altogether positive one's.
Think,sometimes a dog's behaviour towards a baby or child is often times mis-read.Their interest in them being seen as cute,funny even,when sometimes it's anything but that

I totally agree Malka - even my beloved Hal would not have been spared had he done such a thing. Although it would have been done by the vet, not myself!

That's very true Lacey. People often just don't know what they are looking at.

As for killing a dog yourself if it killed a baby, I would be beyond devastated if my dog did it but kill it myself, no. Again we are looking at it from a human perspective presuming a dog knows that a baby is human...when this is most probably not the case. It's not right and it's not pleasant it's a terrible terrible tragedy but it's adult humans responsibility to prevent it from happening...not the dogs responsibility. If this had managed to injur Merryn it would have been my fault, not hers. She was showing me all the signs that she was over stimulated by Merryn's arrival and it was my duty to protect Merryn....and in doing that protect Tonks from what would have been the consequences of her actions if she had hurt Merryn. Dogs cannot be relied apon to make the right judgment call, we (as their owners) take that responsibility.....or should take it.

Having seen what the "average" dog owner does to their pet dog, from babying it, to using CM tactics, to presuming it's a human in fury clothes, to not undemanding the first tiny bit of dog body language, to just presuming their puppy will turn out ok with no thought to socialization or training...I think tis a credit to dogs that this sort of thing doesn't happen more often.
I was talking to a non dog friend about this yesterday when she said she was trying to not look directly into Tonks" eyes when she spoke to her as she knew that that's not what dogs like. True it's not what dogs like from other dogs but many many dogs learn as tiny puppies that humans gazing into their eyes is not a threat but an affectionate thing. It's not something they inherate it something they learn. Tonks will happily gaze lovingly into people's eyes when they talk to her, as will Remus.

I have my own opinions on dogs hurting babies and outcomes and whatnot, but I shall not voice them at this moment as I'm positive it would turn into a terrible argument among something that is already very sad.

I will say this, a dog will almost always have to pay with his/her life for killing a baby. Nothing else can be expected and nothing else can be done. That is how the law works.

Sad that several lives were lost here, but the tragedy goes all the way around, when the OP makes it seem as if the only tragedy was the dogs getting put down.

To be honest we have no real facts as to what went on. We are to believe the dogs or dog killed the baby, but no other information, as is the case in all these tragic stories. That said I believe parents/carers should be held responsible for their dogs behaviour and actions. The dog was dangerously out of control whatever way you look at it and the owners should be held accountable for that.

Also as a side note this is the ONLY forum I've been apart of that seems to lack any kind of feeling for the dogs in question in these situations. I don't understand some viewpoints here at all, very strange considering this is a dog forum. I don't believe for one minute you was being "callous" with what you said. I admitted before that I no longer feel much in the way if sympathy for the parents in these situations because often it is their own fault that such a tragedy occurred in the first place. I Also couldn't care less whether people think I'm heartless or whatever for that viewpoint, I can't fake something that isn't there. So I totally see your point Gemini.

"Having seen what the "average" dog owner does to their pet dog, from babying it, to using CM tactics, to presuming it's a human in fury clothes, to not undemanding the first tiny bit of dog body language, to just presuming their puppy will turn out ok with no thought to socialization or training...I think tis a credit to dogs that this sort of thing doesn't happen more often. "

Catrin, I find this a wonderful and accurate statement. You know about my situation and my family has made our fair share of mistakes in dog rearing. I endeavor to never let it happen again and have learned much by studying dogs and the way they interact with people.

You have to train, socialize, and rear your puppy like a dog... not like a person. I find myself still making errors when it comes to dogs, because I love male dogs and get this attachment to them and end up babying them admittedly. Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes, even though some of us don't wish to admit this.

Leash pulling, hand biting, jumping up, door dashing, etc.... these are all puppy problems and the dogs don't just "grow out" of them. People tend to think puppy behaviors are always grown out of. That's not how it works at all.

I know that Nigredo would still jump on many, many children (knocking them down with his 80 lbs of big paws, and probably ending up hurting one) if I had made the huge mistake of thinking he'd grow out of that.

It's important to always supervise children with dogs, and to take extra care when you have a strong or large dog. I am struggling to much with people who fail to do this. Why would you leave a child alone with a dog????? That is so stupid!

Truly the dogs are not to blame... because I swear I didn't realize people could be so stupid until these cases kept popping up on here. I also agree with you... I couldn't ever kill either one of my dogs, no matter what they did.

I know people are valued much higher than dogs, but I can't kill something I truly love and that is only an animal... and completely unaware of what he/she has done wrong. To turn your back on your loving dog like that is unthinkable IMO. NEVER EVER could I do it.

I can see the OP point in all of this, often only the baby and the parents are thought of, until they did this one thing (yes it was horrific) they were apparently loved family pets although one was very new.
How is a dog supposed to know the difference between a baby and a rabbit, rat, mouse, bird etc etc... They don't and while the out come was truly awful I cannot help but think the dogs didn't deserve that fate, but yes obviously rehoming them is out of the question so nothing else can be done but have them PTS.
Yes we don't know the situation, we don't know if the dogs were often left with the baby (and even the other children) we don't know their behaviour or reaction to the baby.
I do know that if Cookie killed a baby I would do anything possible to get him back, he's not a person and doesn't know he has done wrong. It would be my fault for not having him under control. He has grown up with children until I moved out of the family home 3 years ago, but even when the kids come around I make sure he is always with me and not left with them and I have only just started to leave him with my sister who is now 14 but has been taller than me for some time. When they stay over I even close my bedroom door with him in my room so he can't get upstairs to them as he would love to sleep with them rather than me.
Maybe in a day to day situation with children all the time I would be more relaxed but I couldn't be happy having both the dog and baby/child out of my sight just in case an accident did happen (door left open...).
Just my opinion.

Baby had only been home from hospital for two days.

And there was enough published about the forensic proof they had that both dogs were involved.

Having just read the phrase 'only the baby' I don't think I'd better look at this thread again. I think 'only a person with no children' could possibly use a phrase like that.