Are Pets Dangerous to Kids?

Does having a dog in the house put your child at risk?

This is pretty scary. The dog almost killed the baby. I still don't think it's a bad idea to have a dog and a baby. I just think I would make sure the dog couldn't get to the baby. I would shut the baby's door when he's sleeping. We don't have a dog so this isn't a big concern for me, but a lot of people do. Will this story make you think twice about leaving Fido in the room with your kids?

FROM ABC: A five–day old infant is in critical condition today after being snatched from his crib by the family dog...and carried into the woods. While the baby sustained serious injuries, his parents say this was *not* a vicious dog attack. ABCs Andrea Canning has more on whether or not having a dog in the house puts your child at risk. It's an unimaginable family tragedy.

Michael Smith and his wife had just brought home their newborn baby son A.J. Less than 24 hours later, Smith's wife Chrissie went to check on the baby -but A.J. wasn't in his crib. They began a frantic search of the house and the surrounding woods. Ten minutes later Smith found Dakota with A.J. in her mouth.

(SOT SHERIFF) "The child was found approximately 150 yards from the home in a wooded area." AJ SUFFERED MULTIPLE INTERNAL INJURIES A CRACKED SKULL AND TWO PUNCTURED LUNGS- ALL TO A BABY BORN 3 WEEKS EARLY. DAKOTA IS A MIXED BREED NATIVE AMERICAN DOG - SMITH HAS HAD HER FOR 4 YEARS AND SAYS HE Completely TRUSTED HER. SHE WAS PART OF THE FAMILY.

IN THIS CASE THE FAMILY BELIEVES THE DOG THOUGHT THE BABY WAS A DOLL ..AND WANTED TO PLAY WITH IT.. BUT EXPERTS SAY ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS A PET MAY TURN ON A NEW BABY IS OUT OF FEAR. (SOT EXPERT: DR KAT MILLER, ASPCA:)yes a baby could be something that a dog fears if it feels necessary it feels trapped, it feels cornered, it could possibly try to drive the baby away with aggression.

WE'VE SEEN THIS KIND OF AGGRESSION BEFORE...LAST YEAR AN 8 MONTH OLD BOY WAS KILLED AT HOME BY A DOBERMAN IN THIS NEW YORK APARTMENT. IN THIS SAN FRANCISCO CASE, IN HIS OWN LIVING ROOM, A NINE MONTH OLD WAS BIT IN THE FACE AND NECK BY THE FAMILY DOG, A BOXER. SOT DR KAT MILLER, ASPCA: Dogs and cats no matter how friendly and social they are still have big teeth keep your baby safe by separating completely your dog and your baby when u are not immediately there to supervise

THANKFULLY BABY A.J. SURVIVED THIS ATTACK..BUT FOR SMITH - KNOWING HE COULD HAVE DONE MORE TO PROTECT HIS SON IS A REGRET HE SAYS HE WILL LIVE WITH FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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