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Pit Bull Rapes 2-Year-Old

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Buffalo, NY -- A disturbing and violent attack leaves a toddler in serious condition at Women and Children's Hospital. Neighbors heard a mother screaming that her child was being raped.

Lockport Police received a 911 call from a frantic City of Lockport mother Sunday afternoon.


The mother told Lockport Police that she left her two-year-old unattended for a short time and after hearing the baby scream, she ran to see what was wrong.

When she got in the room, she told Lockport Police the dog had sodomized the toddler. The mother screamed, scaring the dog and it ran out of the house.

One neighbor told 2 On Your Side, she heard the mother screaming "the dog is raping my baby." Neighbors ran to help, but only one man was able to get the dog and child apart.

Anastacio Castillo says "I tried to get the dog away from the baby, the dog was already inside the baby." When the baby was finally free, he was visibly sick.

The baby was rushed to Women and Children's Hospital where the toddler underwent reconstructive surgery.

The dog is being held at the Niagara County SPCA for evaluation. An animal behavior specialist is scheduled to evaluate the Pit Bull.

The Niagara County District Attorney's office is assisting Lockport Police with the investigation.

Miranda Workman, behavior specialist at Purrfect Paws in Amherst says, "Most likely this is not a learned behavior. Dogs intact, not spayed or neutered have a higher hormonal drive."

She urges parents to never, ever leave their children alone with a dog


http://www.wfmynews2.com/news/watercooler_entertainment/article.aspx?storyid=86779

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my co-workers (one is a pit bull lover/owner) were just arguing about this few mins ago. i thought it will be interesting to hear from any of pit bull lover/owner or againster.

 
Jul 13, 07 1:04 pm

that almost made me sick right there. Jesus, what a thing to go through as a kid. Is it better to hope that the kid is sheltered from this and never has to know? Or to hope that her family is able to afford some extensive therapy?

However, I have known pit bulls that are incredibly sweet dogs, very well socialized. I have a hard time condemning a whole breed for the actions of one animal, particularly when it's such an unusual action. I'm more inclined to believe that dogs are like people in that there are bad and good in every sort.

Jul 13, 07 1:11 pm  · 
 · 
Sarah Hamilton

Thats hard to believe, but with so many witnesses, hard to refute. Wierd.

We had a story the other day about a 13 y.o. boy who raped a 7 y.o. boy while other kids watched. I thought that was strange too.


Whats in the water?

Jul 13, 07 1:12 pm  · 
 · 
larslarson

rationalist..

i know it's hard to condemn pit bulls for one action..but there's been
far more than that... you rarely hear of golden retrievers (for example)
attacking children or biting or whatever..but you often hear of pit bulls.

now maybe this a case where owners use a certain type of dogs for
certain things..i.e. training a dog to fight/attack. but i also have a
feeling that some dogs are more inclined to this sort of activity..
and i also feel that pit bulls have a hair trigger at this point. along
the same lines as dobermans or rottweilers.

Jul 13, 07 1:19 pm  · 
 · 
tinydancer

actually rottweillers are very friendly dogs-it's all in how they are raised. My family has owned rotties for 17 years and never had a problem-ever.

Jul 13, 07 1:21 pm  · 
 · 
tinydancer

but regardless of my above statement, this situation is horrible...

Jul 13, 07 1:26 pm  · 
 · 
xtbl

yeah, not even a poodle, seriously.

you just never know.

Jul 13, 07 1:28 pm  · 
 · 
larslarson

yeah tinydancer...
i actually haven't heard much about rottweillers being trouble..
they are physically imposing though...i don't usually feel threatened
by dogs..never been scared of them..but rottweillers are exceptions
the power in their front legs is impressive.

and i agree..you shouldn't leave your child alone with a dog..and
i feel empathy for the mom and child.

Jul 13, 07 1:31 pm  · 
 · 
Sarah Hamilton

Well I dont think there is any way the child will remember.

And there was a news story a year or so ago about a rott that grabed an infant out of a mother's arms. I mean, I like dogs and all, but thats scary.

Jul 13, 07 1:33 pm  · 
 · 
phuyaké

I've had a few dogs, and the sweetest one I had was a pure-bred pitbull. She was entirely harmless. Instead of acting like a guard dog she ran when someone knocked on the door.

However, I noticed people were still scared of her off the bat just knowing she was a pit. I had her when I lived down south, and when I was walking her people would offer to buy her from me on the spot so they could use her for dog fighting (still really popular in some areas). It's those activities that perpetuate the menacing image of the breed. In reality, they might not be more aggressive by nature (maybe they are?), but they are definitely very muscular and strong. If you raise a dog to be violent and treat it like shit, then it's going to behave like that. I think we should be pointing fingers at the way (historically) these dogs have been treated and abused before we blame the dog.

Jul 13, 07 1:35 pm  · 
 · 

lars- the complicating thing is that IF a breed is more prone to aggression, then it's because we as humans have bred them to be so. Breeders use dogs that exemplify the qualities appreciated in that particular breed, so if pit bulls are particularly aggressive, then it's because what previous generations of humans prized in pit bulls was aggression. And this gives me some major guilt when cities talk about banning this breed of dog, because we're in essence punishing dogs for what we've made them to be.

Jul 13, 07 1:38 pm  · 
 · 
larslarson

no doubt rationalist that humans have had a hand in making pit
bulls what they are...but i do think because of what we've done
that the breed has become more aggressive.

i do think that pit bulls attract a certain type of owner as some have
said here. and that those owners are looking for intimidating/
fighting dogs. 'rep' kind of dogs. with a good owner i think any
kind of dog can be a good pet.

Jul 13, 07 1:43 pm  · 
 · 
Sarah Hamilton

This still seems to be more than just bad owner. I mean, that would make sense if the dog chewed, or attacked, but full on penetrative rape, well that something else entirely. I mean, yes, dogs hump as a dominance thing, but they don't ACTUALLY go all the way when doing this. And I doubt the infant smelled like a female in heat, so its all very strange. I wonder what Ceasar Milan would say about this.

Jul 13, 07 1:43 pm  · 
 · 

Sarah, that's kind of what I was wondering. How would the dog know, on a human baby, how/where to.....?

Is this what happens when owners let their dogs watch them have sex? I mean, as incredibly just... YERCH... as it is to think about... I can't comprehend how the dog knew what to do with a baby, who, as Sarah noted, wouldn't have been putting off any sort of signals or hormones. I don't really know what I'm suggesting here, the depravity of it is beyond my comprehension.

Jul 13, 07 1:51 pm  · 
 · 
ice9

updates to the story have pointed out that the child was walking around naked and had recently removed his own soiled diaper. vetrinary experts have speculated that the the kid's odor, in combination with the fact that the dog wasn't neutered, might have sparked the incident.

in any case, even though rape is a violent crime amongst humans, this has to be looked at as a hormonal anomaly. even if we consider pit bulls more aggressive than other dogs, there is no way that aggression would spark a 'rape.' the dog has no idea what a rape is.

and just to insert the typical lecture you get from responsible pit bull owners like myself: pit bulls were bred for fighting other dogs. (incidentally, some variations were also bred to watch babies...) lots of other dogs, such as boxers, were also bred to fight. if you're breeding an extremely powerful fighting dog, the last characteristic you want to encourage is aggression towards humans. that would just be stupid. so, many pit bulls do have increased levels of aggression towards other dogs. i don't take mine to dog parks, and routinely avoid off-leash dogs when in the park. any pit bull that attacks a human has either been specifically taught to do so, or is poorly bred. lots of times the 'pit bulls' in the news aren't really pit bulls at all...they're mixed breeds.

and finally, in fact pit bulls bite far less people every year than lots and lots of other breeds. i can't put my hands on this research right now, but its out there. the reason pit bull attacks make it into the news all the time is because the are PIT BULL ATTACKS. it makes good headlines. and, unfortunately, because if you are attacked by a pit bull who has been trained to be aggressive to humans, you'll probably be in much worse shape than if you got bit by a beagle.

Jul 13, 07 2:15 pm  · 
 · 
postal

where was bob barker?

Jul 13, 07 2:19 pm  · 
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larslarson

ice9

it does make sense that every pit bull attack is sensationalized..
and that they are not more violent than other attack dogs
specifically. it's easy news.

it would also make sense that since most people have heard
about pit bull attacks that they'd be more fearful of pit bulls..
and therefore put off the kind of signals that a dog would pick
up.

and as you said another reason pit bulls are heard about is the
shear power of their jaws...and from what i've heard..their
unwillingness to let go...although i don't know if this sets them
apart from other dogs so much.

Jul 13, 07 2:21 pm  · 
 · 
liberty bell

OK, a few things:

1. You never, ever leave any baby alone with ANY dog - period. Even my own bully - English bull terrier, the Spuds MacKenzie dog, a dog breed famous for never starting fights but, when forced, always finishing them - was never alone with Angus, ever. Those baby gates work both ways, to keep babies out AND to keep dogs out.

2. For god's sake, is this story even real? The story reports simultaneously that the dog ran out of the house when the mother screamed at it AND that the neighbor had to pull the dog off the child. If this news outlet can't even fact check at a level sufficient to keep from contradicting itself, how can we believe this is ANYTHING other than what ice9 said above: if there is a news story including the words "pit bull" the freakin' obnoxious and profit-driven news media will leap on it in a frenzy.

Jul 13, 07 2:27 pm  · 
 · 
ice9

lb-

well, unfortunately (and this is really terrible) the dog did apparently run out the door when the mother yelled at it, and it did have to be pulled off of the baby. this is really disgusting and tragic, but if you've spent some time on a farm...this sounds accurate.

Jul 13, 07 2:35 pm  · 
 · 
liberty bell

Let's just say this: I'm extremely skeptical that this story is truthful, and I totally agree with tumbleweed's comment above: I think this child will need therapy, as I doubt this is the only terrible thing that will happen with such neglectful parents..

Jul 13, 07 2:39 pm  · 
 · 
mightylittle™

that story makes me sick...and not because of the tragedy involved, but because of the pathetic grabs for sensationalist sound bites and crappy media fodder.

it was listed in the Watercooler & Entertainment News section for crying out loud.

they can't seem to write a decent lede, and they don't even bother to describe the breed.

was it a bull terrier? a mastiff? a staffordshire terrier? a fucking beefy lab?

i take some major umbrage with news stories like this that can't even get a breed description. they're obviously trumping the scenario over the truth here. sure they're not AKC judges, but get it right, or just call it a dog attack. i wonder what really happened.


sure, big dogs are dangerous. DON'T LEAVE YOUR POOP-STAINED KID AROUND AN UNNEUTERED MALE DOG YOU MORONS!


i had a staffordshire terrier for thirteen years. a darling dog. never bit anyone. i'm so tired of this kind of story...ice9 made some great points. where's the sensationalist stoires about chow's biting mailmen? now there's an unpredictable breed. but that's just it...ALL DOGS CAN BE UNPREDICTABLE. that's why it's called Responsible Ownership, which this person was obviously not practicing.

did the dog run out when it got yelled at, and then come back in for more? unlikely. sounds like a bullshit piece to me.

Jul 13, 07 2:49 pm  · 
 · 
nambypambics

My first inclination was to think that it was a cover-up for something else... but if there were witnesses then I guess not.

I would agree that it is more a problem of parental neglect than anything that can possibly be interpreted as the dog's fault. Child alone with a dog, wearing no pants? (Even understanding that little kids will take off their clothes randomly, as anyone who has even baby-sat should know!) Dogs just... hump. Especially non neutered ones. When it's a poodle on an adult's foot, it's annoying or even funny. When it's a pit-bull on a baby, it's terrifying.

It seems like that poor child might have undergone further harm because of parental neglect & general ignorance. Dogs' (& some other mammals) penises expand while they are breeding - it is known among breeders that forcibly prying mating dogs apart can cause serious harm to the female. I can only imagine it would be the same for a baby and I would guess that is why he is badly injured enough to need reconstructive surgery. It's beyond horrible to just let the dog finish what he was doing and of course it is natural to want to rush to stop it immediately - but from a physical standpoint that would unfortunately be the least traumatic thing to the child. The child is so little he probably won't remember anything consciously. I just hope he is shielded from knowing that this ever happened and hope they don't publish the family's name in the media!

Jul 13, 07 2:54 pm  · 
 · 
sameolddoctor

"he urges parents to never, ever leave their children alone with a dog" fuckin a'

Jul 13, 07 2:58 pm  · 
 · 
A Center for Ants?

i think it's sort of disturbing that the news website has it listed under a "watercooler" section of their website.

Jul 13, 07 3:29 pm  · 
 · 

^^really. Who thinks that baby rape is an appropriate water-cooler conversation?

Jul 13, 07 3:30 pm  · 
 · 
mightylittle™

apparently the folks at WMFY in Winston-Salem do.

Jul 13, 07 3:31 pm  · 
 · 
brian buchalski

some people & their dogs are sick...that link references the preso canario attack in san francisco in which the dog ripped the woman's throat right off of her neck nearly beheading her...and that makes the dog popular?

Jul 13, 07 3:56 pm  · 
 · 
ARKTEK

obviously a reporter from winston-salem probably did not report this story by themselves since it was in NY; must've been some sort of wire news story. I too noticed that they had tucked it into the watercooler/entertainment section, so I sent them an email to voice my disgust at their lack of judgement.

Jul 13, 07 4:05 pm  · 
 · 
FrankLloydMike

not to defend this newspaper, but the watercooler thing seems to make some sense: look at all of us reading this and discussing it around a sort of virtual watercooler. I'm not saying it isn't distasteful of the paper, but we all bit on the story and I think that's why it's in the watercooler section. Let's not be too self-righteous here: this is the same thing as slowing down passing an accident. The placement of this story is distasteful, but it was good judgement on their part since we're all discussing it.

Jul 13, 07 5:56 pm  · 
 · 
rfuller

Jesus. Can't this thread die already? I keep getting sick every time it pops to the top of the list.

Jul 13, 07 5:58 pm  · 
 · 
RShearer

This story is fake news according to our investigation. We just posted a report on this case at www.stinkyjournalism.org . We are not-for- profit, no ads, media bs watchdog (ouch) that came across this fake news report.

We discovered that local MsM media misquoted their own experts to make it appear they were supporting this absurd idea that this young male dog raped a 2 year old boy within seconds of being left alone.


Excerpt from our report is found below:
http://stinkyjournalism.org/newsdetail.php?id=0

“This Story Does Not Add Up.”

A WIVB news report claimed that the President of the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society corroborated the story. According to the article, an unnamed expert stated that the parents may have missed warning signs, and that a two-year-old dog reaching “sexual maturity” should not be left alone with a small child.

Her words, however, were taken completely out of context. Stephanie Wolf, the misrepresented leader of NFVS, explained that a two-year-old dog can display aggression when reaching sexual maturity. “Aggression,” she told us in an exclusive interview, "[means] biting, not raping.” She never intended to suggest that parents need to fear potential rape by their family pet.

Jul 15, 07 1:47 pm  · 
 · 

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