Yes, I am serious. I don't think it is a fit subject for any other response.

If I had suggested allowing it to roam the streets your post would be relevent.

No, it wont bring the child back but the idea is that we may learn something to help prevent further tragedies. When there is a car crash that results in a death then the police examine the vehicles involved - often in minute detail - to try to learn the exact sequence of events and, if appropriate, make recommendations to avoid repetitions.

You say that the dog's temperament was "not very good" which is probably an accurate guess but in what ways, to what extent, in what circumstance, for what reason? Study of a child-killing dog could reveal patterns or valuable information that could help us learn and keep another child from being killed.

As I have said - the dog's fate is sealed. That is not something that can be argued but this rush to destroy it before we can learn anything from it is mad. It's like crushing the faulty car before investigating the faults. Outside of dogs that would never happen.

What did you expect them to do interview the dog?

I expected them to do exactly what they did. I just find it non-sensical.

Better to have to have veterinary and behavioural assesments before its destruction.

i agree with you there, i think they really should have.

The dog is a product of it's breeding, it's training, it's management and environmental factors. None of those are constants in fact each situation is unique. The unavoidable conclusion is going to be that all those factors have combined to produce a dangerous dog and a truly dreadful situation for the family.

At least when a vehicle is examined you know you are dealing with a vehicle that was built to specific safety standards and is required to be maintained to minimum standards, so you have some constants. You can say "this accident happened because X was leaking or worn which caused Y to fail".

This is because dogs have morals and ethics. They know the difference between right and wrong and if they choose to hurt anyone they deserve to be killed.

This is why dogs that kill are put to sleep but other animals and people are not. People are locked up for life or rehabilitated.

Other animals who kill might be put to sleep out of revenge but often they are handled better in future.

On the local news this morning they report that reptiles are more popular pets than dogs. Including poisonous snakes which should be kept with a licence.

It crossed my mind that if a child was killed by a reptile because they reached in the vivarium it would probably be given to a new owner or zoo where it would be properly contained.

The police have not released the breed of dog.Just said on North west news that they are investigating to see if it was an illegal breed and therefore a criminal act to own it....

The little boy, was only recording a Christmas CD at his school last week........so very very sad!

So sad, poor child, what a tragic loss


I can not see any other course of action, that could of been taken, I love dogs, but any dog that can maul a child to death should be destroyed. A markman would do a quick and instant death, which seeing as the dog was in a highly stressed state,was the safest option for everyone.

Sorry, but ANY dog that does that, needs to be dealt with.

I don't think the dog was killed just because it had killed.....It was shot because it was in front of the house in an agitated state. I think it was more to stop any further incidents....

What could possibly be gained from keeping this dog alive to assess?
You would never get a true insight into the dogs 'normal' behaviour as it would be in a strange environment, not treated 'normally' (after all who would treat a dog normally knowing it killed a child)
No matter how good or bad temperament the dog had before this attack, it still killed a child. No dog with a sound temperament would maul a child so badly that they die at the scene.
I could understand what you mean if it was just a bite, but it so obviously wasnt.

My dogs are both trustworthy around my young son but if either of them mauled him to death I would much rather they be shot and killed instantly than be dragged off for assessments or be dragged to the vets in an agitated state to be pts.

No matter what the breed, the dog was obviously out of control and deserved his/her fate.
No doubt they will do a post mortem to check for physical problems such as tumours that may have caused a sudden change in behaviour, but either way there was no other acceptable outcome.