Mom Arrested After Puppy Chews Infant's Right Foot - Paw Talk

Tilt · #1 08-23-2005, 10:54 PM

Summary: Mom puts baby to sleep in bassinet and goes to sleep herself. She later awakens to the cries of her baby and, upon checking on the child, discovers her Jack Russell Terrier mix puppy had jumped into the bassinet and chewed a portion of the child's foot off.

The baby's foot had to be amputated. Mommy has been arrested.

Source & full story: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/4867415/detail.html

Millimi · #2 08-23-2005, 11:11 PM

Why was the mom arrested? I don't get it...Poor baby, though.

CTChin · #3 08-23-2005, 11:13 PM

I was thinking the same thing. I don't think that was grounds for arrest.

Chrisanne · #4 08-23-2005, 11:15 PM

I don't understand her being arrested either. Makes no sense. Its not like she put the dog in the bassinet. Poor baby girl.

**Scarlette** · #5 08-23-2005, 11:59 PM

There's probably more to the story. A baby getting it's foot chewed off by a dog is going to scream loudly. I would guess it would take a quite a few minutes for a dog to chew off part of an infant's foot. I'm going out on a limb here, but to not awaken quickly to your child screaming in agony would mean A) Mom was drunk, B) Mom was high on some type of drug, or C) No one was even at home with the baby when it occured. Just a guess.

Tilt · #6 08-24-2005, 12:20 AM

Quote:


	She is being charged with contributing to the deprivation of a minor.

I assume it has something to do with sleeping through the cries of a baby as it's foot is partially gnawed off. (Just guessing here. I'd like more info, too.) I don't know how she managed to sleep through it.

A good example of why it's never safe to leave children and pets unsupervised.

Padfoot · #7 08-24-2005, 01:03 AM

I think it would be negligence... I think it has to do with the sleeping through the cries too, or with letting the dog in with the baby while not supervised... also, remember that cause for arrest (being arrested) is not the same as being sent to jail... she can be found not guilty (it being an accident, dog not supposed to be there, ect.).

Tilt · #8 08-24-2005, 02:00 AM

Good point, Padfoot. :]

Ilovesmepets · #9 08-26-2005, 12:09 PM

I personally would never leave a puppy in a room with a baby. An older dog, that has been proven to be safe around a baby would be different. Puppies like to chew on things. Its awful that this child has to grow up with a handicap like that because of her mom's negligence.

Jodi · #10 08-26-2005, 01:20 PM

I'm with Scarlette on this one. I find it VERY hard to believe a mother wouldn't hear her babies cries.... It wasn't just a bite that happened quick. It had to been at least a couple of minutes. Maybe the mother was outside or ran to the store or something else she doesn't want to admit (because it's illegal to leave a baby alone).

I just feel horrible for the baby.

Keritsubo · #11 08-26-2005, 06:09 PM

This is quite sad... I do lean towards teh mother possibly having left the child unattended. It seems to be the most likely as I can't believe sleeping through such cries of agony. The child must have been in so much pain....

pihlaja · #12 08-30-2005, 10:01 PM

Well, IF the mother is a deep sleeper and the baby was perhaps at the other end of the house, it might take a minute or two for her to wake up from the cries.

I know from experience that when Alex (youngest brother) was a baby, he would sleep at the other end of our house and when he had a good screaming fit in the middle of the night, it usually took me 1-2 minutes before I was awoken by it. But, this is because he had to get REALLY loud for me to hear him.

That's the only scenario I can think of that doesn't involve the mother being on something or being gone completely. And still, that's not excusable. A baby that young should be napping BESIDE the mother (in the bassinet).

Little puppy teeth can do lots of damage, but it can't be done THAT quickly (at least not like almost gnawing a foot completely off)--so that poor baby was screaming for a long time, I'm sure.

Very sad, indeed.