Tragic Fatal Attack in Orange, VA

Update 10/1/09:

The little girl has been identified as Jasmine Deane.  And according to one report, there has been apparently "conflicting information" on the attack -- which is probably why information has been so slow to trickle out with more details.  Sheriff Mark Amos noted in multiple articles that the girl's mother told deputies that she had been preoccupied for a short period of time and then noticed the child was not in the house.  Officials could not specificy how long the girl had been gone.

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I'm going to go ahead and post this even though very little information is known about the attack at this point -- but the story has already been picked up by the Associated Press and is spreading like wild fire across the news media this morning.

Last night,a 23 month old girl in Orange County, VA wondered outside her home unattended and up to a dog owned by the family that was chained up in the back yard.  The child was fatally attacked by the dog.  Because there were no adults present, the specific events that led up to the attack are unknown at this time.  Even though the media reports indicate that the dog had "lived with the family for 10 years" -- there is little indication here that the dog was anything more than a resident dog.  Initial media reports are calling the dog a "pit bull".

This attack represents the 22nd fatality of the year -- the 7th involving a young child.  There have been three nearly identical attacks as this this year, where a toddler has wandered outside of the home unattended and up to a chained dog that was in the back yard. 

The attack occurred in a rural area not far from Orange, VA. The community of Orange has a population of about 4,500 people -- over 21% of which live below the nation's poverty line (the VA state % is 9.6%).  Over 10% of the community lives at an income 50% below the poverty line (compared to 4.3% of the entire state).  Income and education continue to be contributing factors in the knowledge people have about how to care for dogs and thus the safety of their children when it comes to those same dogs.

I'll post more about this as information becomes available.

Comments

[doug]

All its going to take is for someone to have a security camera set up in the back yard, and then have a child wander in the yard and a pit bull attack like it is attacking a cat.

And there is going to be pit bull bans set up across the country. This reactionary ban will not be good for anyone.

[Brent Toellner]

You're right Doug -- no one whens with reactionary bans because they end up being 100% based on emotion with very little logic or rational thinking thrown in. Fortunately in Virginia, they have a law the prevents breed specific laws...which is why preventing bans at a statewide level is a good idea.

[PAMM - People Against Malformed Mutts]

"All its going to take..." WTF? Pit bull bans have been going on for the past 20 plus years and breed bans have been going on since the 1800s.

[Erica]

I really hate reading stories about "pitbull attacks". Although it is tragic all is does is fuel public outrage and fear against this lovable breed. I have two wonderful pitbulls that would lick you to death before they ever bit you. I work in the healthcare field and have seen my share of dog attacks. I always ask what breed was involved just to see what people say. Not once have I received the answer pitbull. I have heard german shepherd, akita, labrador, etc. ANY dog can bite but the only ones that make a "good" story are pitbulls. Just once I wish they would do a show on the pitbulls that are used as service and therapy animals so people would see a different side of this breed.

[Lisa]

I have a pit bull and as a responsible owner, I take care not to leave anyone (especially children) unattended with him. He is the most loving and gentle dog I have ever owned. In fact, my new kitten enjoys sneak attackes on him and he does nothing in return to the kitten. It is truly all in how you raise them!

[Karen]

This will be one of those "We Told You So" stories for the brain-dead media.

They'll be saying the dog has suddenly 'switched' as Pit Bulls are 'KNOWN' to do!

What would your mental state be after 10 years of being chained by the neck in some clown's back yard? Why have a dog at all if that's all you think of him?

That dog would have been deeply unhappy, deeply depressed and deeply frustrated. The only thing to boggle about is how he held it together for so long.

[Lindsay]

It's sad, and something that was bound to happen, given the circumstances.

[Amy Greer]

I agree with Erica, Lisa and Karen. I too own a Pitbull whom I rescued. He is a nice family dog, whom my 5 year old son rides like a horse. My biggest complaint with him is that he is an attention hog and is always underfoot wanting more. He's a good boy and he is very devoted to us. However, he didn't come that way. It takes training, patience, love, research and a bit of intelligence. Unfortunately the not so bright are often attracted to the breed and do not learn from other people's fatal mistakes. Every time another story like this comes on the news I cringe and say "Please don't let it be a pitbull." I find what Erica says interesting about the dog attack victims are claiming other breeds attack them. I'd like to know where are the statistics on this stuff? If you look up statistics on dog bites you come across biased websites from people advocating breed specific legislation and claiming pitbulls are monsters; such as this one. http://www.dogsbite.org/dangerous-dogs.htm
This stuff really angers me. Every time it happens, every time, we find out a few days or weeks down the road there was abuse, the dogs were inbred, there were dead dogs in a trailer stuffed in bags, the dogs were used for fighting etc. etc... They are not just naturally like this. It goes against their true nature to attack people. I honestly think if someone broke into my house my dog would go up and try to convince them to pet him. He could be stolen right out of my house he's so friendly. However, I never tie him to a tree. I never leave my son unattended with him in the yard or even in the house. I never leave him alone for longer than a few hours. He is a member of our family. I got him for that reason. Why else have a dog? Wake up people before more children have to die. Do some research before you get a dog and for God's sake treat him with love and respect. You will get it back!

[brandi]

its the parents fault. why would you let your almost 2 year old child wander outside and go up to a dog?????? what part do the parents really have in this? must not have cared much about their kid to not watch her.