# Dog bites preschooler



## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

This article pisses me off for so many reasons, and it's more or less because it could have been avoided by an irresponsible mother not letting her kid run across a street to a dog, and you can see that she has no idea where her kid was at the time as she was under the impression that the dog was off leash... nice mom... nice...

The dog shouldn't have been left alone/too far away from the owner but at the same time, i've got to put more of it on the parent i mean c'mon 4 years old and you can't keep them near you?


A skittish English bull terrier tethered to an iron fence at a Bronx neighborhood park lunged at a friendly 4-year-old girl who tried to pet him, tearing into her face yesterday, authorities said.
The terrifying attack on little Ishay Stevens occurred at 4:30 p.m. at Third Avenue and East 170th Street near Gouverneur Playground in the Claremont section of The Bronx.
The male dog, named "Fifty," was tied to the park fence, his owner nearby, when the preschooler -- who lives across the street from the playground -- spotted the animal lying down and sprinted over to pet him, witnesses said.

J.C. RICE
FRIGHTFUL EXPERIENCE: 
"Fifty" was tied to a park fence in The Bronx yesterday when Ishay Stevens approached the dog and was viciously bitten.

She was carrying a red balloon in her hand -- and her gesture apparently suddenly riled the tied-up pooch.
He lunged at the little girl and sank his teeth in her face.
Stunned and bleeding after the sudden attack, the child was rushed to Lincoln Hospital with her mother by her side.
Mom Nicki Fuller later said the girl needed four stitches to close the rips in her upper left cheek -- and "the crease of her smile."
"My daughter's going to be OK but she's still going to be scarred for life after this," an irate Fuller told The Post last night.
"This should have never happened. It's upsetting.
*While I agree it shouldn't have happened, it only happened because you didn't know what your kid was doing... and 4 stitches.. c'mon thats near to nothing that will very possibly not even scar if it's taken care of.*
"This dog is constantly barking. It's been a big problem around the neighborhood and the park for some time, so we're planning to take [legal] action to finally get something done about it."
The owner of the dog, who didn't want to be identified by name, disagreed that "Fifty" was a problem -- or vicious.
He said the dog bit the girl once in the nose -- and only after she ran up to him while the dog was lying down and vulnerable.
The mom of the girl, he added, then ran into her apartment building across the street and returned frantically wielding a two-by-four.
"Go ahead and beat my dog, but it's a felony!" he said he screamed at her.
Fuller confirmed she came out looking to swing the two-by-four but "only because I was frantic, and I heard the dog was loose.
*wait what? you didn't see it happen? you mean... you didn't even know that your 4 year old was approaching strangers/dogs/getting kidnapped?*
"I just wanted to protect my daughter," Fuller added.
"He has some nerve telling people about that."
The dog was never hit, and cops responded quickly to the chaotic scene to calm frayed nerves.
Both the dog and its owner were taken to an Animal Control center.
But authorities said they didn't expect the canine would be taken from its owner.
Cops said the dog was legally licensed and its owner had all the necessary proof of vaccinations.
Both the owner and dog were home by last night.
The dog, however, will be tested for rabies, cops said.
Results will be known in 45 days, although the animal had previously been vaccinated for rabies, the owner said.
"I will compensate the girl's family in any way if she needs it," he said. "I feel bad."

Read more: Dog bites preschooler near Crotona Park - NYPOST.com


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

This story does not piss me off. The stupid bint of a woman pisses me off but not the story. It says that the owner of the dog was "nearby". That could be 5 feet away, 10 feet away. It doesn't say he wasn't there. 

Anyway, here's why this story does not piss me off:



Tobi said:


> Both the dog and its owner were taken to an Animal Control center.
> *But authorities said they didn't expect the canine would be taken from its owner.
> Cops said the dog was legally licensed and its owner had all the necessary proof of vaccinations.
> Both the owner and dog were home by last night.*
> ...


GOOD! I am so over the days of putting every dog who bit, down. That dog did NOT do anything wrong and the owner had the dog under control, (meaning it wasn't running around, loose and wild), the dog was minding its own business, the dog is obviously well taken care of AND the owner, the responsible owner STILL is willing to shell out money because some $&*#@!!! hag can't be bothered to watch her fricken 4 year old child.

"But I only turned my back for a minute..." 

I hate parents who blame everybody else in society for their sh*tty parenting skills.


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## sozzle (May 18, 2011)

I would say as a parent please teach your kids NOT to approach dogs randomly and or to ask owner (if they are present) if they can. I take my greyhound to school sometimes and he's very friendly (I wouldn't otherwise) but really appreciate the kids that ask first. If the dog was known to be aggressive the owner should've had a muzzle on it. Dogs are very vulnerable when asleep and some startle when woken and will bite although I think they generally have such good hearing that they are aware of an approach.
Maybe now the little girl will be wary of dogs and even dogs well known to people (adults included) and as we've read on this forum can suddenly bite.
And yes, mother should've have known what her child was up to.
ps.haha just had a vision of a 'hag' as a mother, warty face, long hairs coming out of chin, bony hands with long talons..........


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

not to be insensitive, but that kid should have been on a leash.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

Or the mother shouldn't have been so involved with herself.

And, I actually change my mind about being pissed off about the article. I just re-read it and the very first fricken words are:

"A skittish (dog), bit a friendly...girl"

Keep the fricken opinion OUT of the news report and give the facts ONLY!


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

Unosmom said:


> not to be insensitive, but that kid should have been on a leash.


 I lol'd at this!!! :lol:


SerenityFL said:


> Or the mother shouldn't have been so involved with herself.
> 
> And, I actually change my mind about being pissed off about the article. I just re-read it and the very first fricken words are:
> 
> ...


Ya for sure, they don't know the dog was skittish or that the kid wasn't a complete brat!

thing is... Tobi has lunged at a guy that came up to our car window fortunately he's tethered while in the car otherwise we might have had a story like this, he startled him but... he approached our car just because they get freaked out about something doens't mean they are all around skiddish... i hate the press.


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

The dog could have been taking a nap for all they know, and a little girl screaming and running up to the dog with a big balloon, of course it's gonna scare him.
Did the dog even lunge? Maybe he just quickly reacted, see it all the time with dogs, I think if he had lunged that girl would have way more than four stitches. Seeing as the owner was nearby he might not have been looking exactly when it happened.

But, yeah, the mom of the girl shouldn't even have kids, so she lets the girl run around all over without supervision and AFTER she hears that the girl is bit, she doesn't go to her daughter, instead she goes inside and grabs a 2X4 to hit the dog? Uhmm, no.
Shoulda been watching her kid.


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## bernadettelevis (Feb 2, 2011)

things like that are so sad..it's always the bad dogs...

just a few weeks ago, i stopped at the supermarket to get something to drink, i had Levis in his crate in the car and left all the doors open because it was so hot. When i cameout of the supermarket, a little girl was standing there,PUTTING HER FINGERS THROUGH THE wirecrate!!! I mean WTF?? And the mother was there and didn't say a word. I might have been a bit rude to the mother when i saw that, but come on! And if something happened its always the bad and vicious dog. Levis didn't mind, but some other dog will. I explained to the girl that you always have to ask before you go near or touch a dog! I was so shocked to see this and the mother didn't understand why i was so rude to her, since my dog was nice anyway :/


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

I love this forum, plain and simple. Why can't the rest of the world think like all of you?! I understand the fear that mother must have felt seeing her child like that, but....I agree 100%....the blame is on her.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

What in the world is the mother doing with a 2 x 4 laying around an apartment in the Bronx? I live in the country and couldn't get my hands on a 2 x 4 that quick! Plus, she leaves her kid alone outside while she runs inside? The parent should have been charged with child endangerment for leaving a 4 year old alone outside to run across the street in the first place.


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

SerenityFL said:


> Or the mother shouldn't have been so involved with herself.
> 
> And, I actually change my mind about being pissed off about the article. I just re-read it and the very first fricken words are:
> 
> ...


I don't think the bystanders really jumped to wild conclusions here. The dog obviously wasn't some happy-go-lucky dog, they didn't say it was aggressive, just skittish. That's what bystanders saw during the incident, whats wrong with that? The girl was being friendly, but she also had no clue about how to approach a dog. They said she sprinted towards the dog with a balloon, and her gestures spooked the dog, causing it to lunge at her face.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

chowder said:


> What in the world is the mother doing with a 2 x 4 laying around an apartment in the Bronx? I live in the country and couldn't get my hands on a 2 x 4 that quick! Plus, she leaves her kid alone outside while she runs inside? The parent should have been charged with child endangerment for leaving a 4 year old alone outside to run across the street in the first place.


Yeah, that was one of my thoughts. The mother leaves a 4 year old out on the street, and the kid runs _across_ the road to get to the dog? What would have happened if the kid had been hit by a car, of course she'd blame the driver and sue them as well. I know kids can be quick and everything, but leaving a child out on the street, unsupervised at 4 years old is a felony in my eyes.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

KittyKat said:


> I don't think the bystanders really jumped to wild conclusions here. The dog obviously wasn't some happy-go-lucky dog, they didn't say it was aggressive, just skittish. That's what bystanders saw during the incident, whats wrong with that? The girl was being friendly, but she also had no clue about how to approach a dog. They said she sprinted towards the dog with a balloon, and her gestures spooked the dog, causing it to lunge at her face.


Witnesses give their feelings, they don't always give just facts. I don't put a whole lot of weight in to witnesses who give emotional testimony because it's based on opinion.


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

The person who should be held responsible for this whole situation.....the mother of the child. PERIOD!!

As a mother of two young children (3 and 5) it is my job to teach my children about dogs. Do not run up to or pet strange dogs. At all! If the owner is there you always ask first. My kids even know how to properly pet a dog as well. They know to approach slowly, do not look the dog dead in the eyes and try to pet under the chin....don't pat directly on top of the head.

Not too long ago I was in our local tractor and supply store. This young girl started running up to Duncan. I had to tell her to stop. I had to tell her to not run up to strange dogs. I did. And her idiot father was standing right there and didn't say one word. That girl will end up getting bit....and it's not going to be the dogs fault.

Man this kind of stuff gets me hot. Grrrrrr! :-/


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

luvMyBRT said:


> The person who should be held responsible for this whole situation.....the mother of the child. PERIOD!!
> 
> As a mother of two young children (3 and 5) it is my job to teach my children about dogs. Do not run up to or pet strange dogs. At all! If the owner is there you always ask first. My kids even know how to properly pet a dog as well. They know to approach slowly, do not look the dog dead in the eyes and try to pet under the chin....don't pat directly on top of the head.
> 
> ...


Good for you for saying something!


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## CavePaws (Jan 25, 2011)

I want to know where the dogs owner was. I want to know why he tied his dog up to the fence and was not paying attention long enough for a 4 year old to run up to it with a red balloon (hello, eye catcher right there?!) 

I don't know, this sounds like a case of two irresponsible people. An irresponsible dog owner and an even more irresponsible mother. The dog owner was more responsible in a sense as he actually had his dog tied up and it was lying down...Still in my opinion not grounds for leaving the dog fairly unattended. Even if it was a very well behaved dog. And, I agree with all of you, it is in no way, shape, or form the dogs fault. It is in all honestly hardly the dog owners fault but I'd like to say he really shouldn't have not been looking at his animal. I mean, if I left my friendly boy Preston tied to a fence and he was laying down you bet I'd see a little kid bolting at him with a red balloon...How into what you're doing do you have to be to miss a red balloon with a kid attached flying at your animal? 

And dear lord I don't even want to get started on the mother. The kid ran across the street! Forget the dog! We have thousand+ lb vehicles flying across roads that could have squished that little girl. She would have been a pancake. Four stitches wouldn't take care of what a car would've done to that kid. That mother was lucky the dog got the kid and not a car. Lucky her kid wasn't taken from her by some psycho, because god knows we have plenty of those wandering the streets. Irresponsible! On all levels. It's just sad. 

And the poor dog. Branded for life, probably. Now whenever his owner takes him out I bet you he'll feel obligated in some way or another to muzzle the poor thing. Ugh. SO. ANNOYING. I feel for the dog and the little girl. The sad thing is that kid did not know any better. She could have ended up in a lot worse of shape. A LOT worse. That dog has excellent bite inhibition. Seeing a little gremlin sized thing running full speed at him with a big floating thing waving above her head. Must've been a nightmare for him since he couldn't go anywhere. And where was dad to protect him?! Fifty must've been all, "OMGWTFMAN -snap-" and it was over.


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## xellil (Apr 4, 2011)

The dog owner pretty much gave the mother a free lawsuit by saying he would pay anything she wanted because he feels terrible. I wish he hadn't done that.


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## lmgakg (Jan 1, 2011)

Unosmom said:


> not to be insensitive, but that kid should have been on a leash.


A child is a child - however, I would like to see the so-called "Mother" on the leash!!!!  

I have always taught my daughter, you NEVER run up to a dog and you NEVER pet a dog without first asking and allowing the owner to introduce you. It drives me crazy when kids run up to my dogs when I am out, they are friendly and would not bite, however, the kid may not be so lucky next time with another dog!!! I always put my hand out to stop the kids and say, yes, you can pet my dogs, but you really shouldn't run up to a dog, because you could scare it and a scared dog can nip, jump, anything. And you should always ASK first because you don't know if it's a friendly dog. When I school another child it usually makes the parent rather embarressed that they weren't nearly as smart or care enough to teach them that on their own!!! But as a responsible dog owner, I feel the need to say it. And I always thank children when they do approach slowly and when they do stop far enough away to ask, and of course explain why I'm thanking them, I think that reinforces what they did and it always makes them feel good!


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## KittyKat (Feb 11, 2011)

SerenityFL said:


> Witnesses give their feelings, they don't always give just facts. I don't put a whole lot of weight in to witnesses who give emotional testimony because it's based on opinion.


Yes it is through their lens that they report things... but the article is just reporting on what they saw... the reporter wasn't there when it happened so they have to work with what they have got to paint a picture of the scene.

@ CavePaws.... i wondered that too. Girl running across the road.... she could have been hit by a car, truck... bus... she could have caused an accident! She's lucky enough that didn't happen....


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