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48 thoughts on “2017 Dog Bite Fatality: Rescue Pit Bull Kills 3-Week Old Baby Girl in Grand Rapids, Michigan

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  1. It is not appropriate for police departments to be propagandizing for fighting dog breeders and lobbying groups with this "all dogs bite" deceit, and people need to get really adamant about stopping this kind of outside pressure influencing these public safety departments.

    This "all dogs bite" is what is leading to grave danger when handling the fighting breeds. No, fighting breeds are different from all other breeds, and they've been bred to be different for hundreds of years.

    This fallacy about leaving dogs alone with children excuse for these attacks is a foolish and false one too. If kids couldn't be left alone with dogs in general, then there would be millions of dead children per year. THERE AREN'T. But there are plenty of dead and maimed children where pit bulls are, even when adults are present.

    ENOUGH WITH THE EXCUSES

  2. And why are these dogs being kept alive at taxpayer expense?

  3. Why do they always 'quarantine' the killers? If a person had murdered a child, they'd be locked up in jail and people would be advocating for their death. A dog kills and people want them to be free and safe from harm. The world so backwards and it makes me sick. Euthanize those beasts!

  4. Did anybody catch the "Good Dog"column and Garden & Gun this month? It's a pro pitbull propaganda puff piece. It's fun how the author writes about three prior dogs from his childhood that affected his fear of dogs. The first to be discussed is a dashhound. Wouldn't you know it, he was terrified of her – and that was constantly biting at him. I have heard the pitbull people claim that the dashhound bites more people than any other dog. Next he discusses two great danes his family had and one of them viciously killed a neighbor's beagle. Finally he gets to the part about the pitbull mix he and his girlfriend adopted which she describes as, " The pit bulls were usually the sweetest creatures." He also claims people have a stereotype against these dogs. Anyway you can Google the article and read it for yourself.

  5. The reason for the quarantine? Well, my dear, they're dogs. And everyone knows that dogs are always wonderful! All the time! Even when they kill people!

    This is where out-of-town dog worship takes​ us.

  6. It's outrageous for the police to spread pit bull propaganda WHILE they're announcing the death of yet another baby killed by a pit bull.

  7. How did you find their names and FB page? Looks like the police haven't released info that yet. I'd like to see their FB page too.

  8. Hello, everyone! I happened upon this website in my quest to find more information about this horrible disaster. I am a resident of Grand Rapids, so this hits pretty close to home. It's refreshing to know that there are people that defend the regard for human life over animal life. It's causing quite a stir over the dog(s) involved being punished for the adults negligence, but refusing to acknowledge that at the end of the day, the animal is still an unpredictable animal, no matter how well a person thinks they know their pet. I agree that this "any dog can bite" propaganda is causing people to choose want over necessity. My peers really didn't like that I suggested not being able to own animals as pets, aside from research, preservation/observation, and servitude. They ask why punish the majority for the behavior of a few? Well, I question the well being of the greater good, if we can't trust everyone to be a responsible pet owner, how do we keep our communities safe? When there are people advocating for the rehabilitation of dangerous animals- yeah, I'll pass on that. I don't hold the adults any less accountable… but I just find myself asking, "What gives?" Anyway, thanks for hearing me out. I felt like the last woman standing on the topic with my kind of opinion. I care about our kids and members of our community and strive to be part of the change for bettering mankind. The whole thing is eating me up inside. I have a 9yo son who has never recovered completely, emotionally, from a dog attack, by our own dog, when he was three. He tripped over the dog and I know the dog acted on instinct. It just wasn't worth the risk of having pets while raising small children.I felt I did the right thing by putting the pooch down, so it wouldn't happen again. These extreme dog lovers compare animals as our equals and they are not, claiming people are just as unpredictable, but people can choose to do right or wrong. An animal just behaves instinctively. If we want to advance beyond our carnal nature, we should stop putting ourselves on the same level as lesser species. I don't know about you all, but I certainly don't groom myself with my tongue, or squat on all fours to relieve myself, so I refuse to belittle myself by saying I wasn't born more consciously evolved than our animal companions. Then I have an over-inflated sense of self-worth. Lol. Am I the crazy one??

  9. This Memorial Day weekend I attended a presentation of "Dock Dogs," which dogs compete to retrieve toys tossed in a large pool. The vast majority of participants are retrievers and other gun dogs, naturally, with a few herding breeds here and there.
    The announcer was a typical frat bro type. He yelled into the mic, "We don't discriminate here at Dock Dogs! We love every dog regardless of breed, size, or color! You'll see pit bulls, Rottweilers. It's all about the OWNER! Remember, there are NO BAD DOGS!"
    Notably, there were no pits or Rotts competing…yet the guy screamed this mini-lecture to the audience nearly word-for-word in the space of about 30 minutes.
    There were lots of young parents the audience with babies and little kids. This is what they are hearing, nonstop, from the supposed dog "experts." This is why it keeps happening.

  10. According to at least one pit bull dog ownership manual, tug should never be played with pit bulls.

  11. When these so-called experts start getting sued, watch them change their tune. Kent County animal control, I am looking right at you. And I will bet that the local personal injury lawyers are too.

  12. More white trash putting pit bulls ahead of their own child. These people should go to jail! Ignorance is not an excuse, the information on how dangerous this breed is, especially to children, is out there to anyone who takes three minutes online to look for it. I hope the dogs are all put down, if not the other child should be removed from the home.

  13. YQN: I agree, pit bull worship is simply the most extreme form of the dog worship that is permeating western cultures to the detriment of our children, neighborhoods, social interations and the culture itself.

    SW: I agree. I truly believe at least 2/3 of the people who have dogs should NOT. In my own neighborhood almost every house has one or more dogs, few bother to walk and exercise their dog at ALL, and no one I have seen does more than a very slow, short walk. Few follow the leash LAW, nothing is done until AFTER someone is hurt. NONE shut their dogs up when they are outside going off. The answer to the ever increasing GLUT of dogs is we need to make spay and neuter mandatory for all pet dogs and cats. Anyone who wants to breed should have to get a license, and no breeding of anything already glutting shelters, or dogs with poor health or temperament.

  14. I am an owner of three dogs. I rescued a small female Rottweiler/Shepherd mix that was a one year old at the time (best guess) that hates cats. She has never had the chance to be around cats since I have owned her and has been a great dog. I have a very large Newfoundland that I have had since he was eight weeks old and he has been a great dog. I rescued an English Mastiff that was well over 100 pounds at six months of age and she is also a great dog. My Mastiff is now 162 lbs at about 21 months of age (still quite a bit smaller than my Newfoundland) and is very well behaved. Because of the history of the Mastiff breed I don't take her to the dog park.My Mastiff has never shown any type of aggression. I walk my dogs and keep them in a fenced yard with a doggy dog that gives them access to the house as well. It is not difficult. My dogs get along well with each other. I would never own a pit bull type or one of the fighting mastiff breeds. If people are allowed to own fighting breeds they need to be muzzled at all times if they are out in public. Fighting breeds should never under any circumstances be in a home with small children. P.S. I have no children.

  15. WTF? People will never learn. They will continue to believe the lies and BS about the "misunderstood sweet baby pibbles." Any adult who brings one of those disgusting animals around their children, and something happens to their child, they should be prosecuted. Period. There is no difference between that and leaving a loaded firearm, poison, or narcotics in your child's reach. Matter of fact, if I do leave a loaded firearm or narcotics in my child's reach, I WILL be prosecuted. Why are these dogs that kill at an alarming rate given a pass? It's insane! I have a former friend who is one of those nutters who loves to post pictures of her innocent child and her stupid pit bulls together after a pit bull attack happens. I truly fear for the life of her child, especially seeing as one of those dogs has already shown "testiness" toward children.
    I can't even wrap my head around what kind of mental illness puts dog lives before the lives of babies and children.
    Pit bulls and their lunatic pit pushers are one of the leading reasons I carry a concealed firearm – which I had to go through extensive training, education, and background checks to obtain, on top of my LE training, unlike PB owners who can own a deadly weapon without any training. I have had frightening encounters in "dog friendly" businesses (most recently Home Depot) with poorly restrained pit bulls and their ignorant owners. One looked at my 6 year old like a tenderloin. My children are my entire world. Both myself and my husband will kill and die to protect them. It's truly sad that some parents don't feel the same way we do about our little blessings. I pray those that are still willing to be educated will see the light and rid their households of those ticking time bombs. I'm so sorry little Susannah's father wasn't successful in his attempts to get his beautiful daughter away from the dogs that ended her entirely too short life.

  16. That poor infant. I noticed that in the FB videos of the dogs, the person speaking (who I think is the teen) will frequently give the pits a command, often "Sit." The pits always obey. I think that's interesting, both because people seem to so often confuse an obedient/trained dog with a safe/friendly dog, and because it's not really normal to constantly be giving obedience commands while you play with your dogs. Sure, sometimes. But the girl is often either directing the pits or, in the case of the three running and wrestling together, shouting to interrupt them. A safe, trusted family dog doesn't need to be ridden like that. You do tend to do it more with multiple dogs, but it's still a lot of commands in very brief videos. Maybe the family didn't consciously know the pits were out of control, but they certainly behaved as if they weren't sure of them. The commands and interuption are given in concerned tones, not as if the speakers were exasperated or simply reminding beloved pets of their manners.

    To respond to the other comments which jumped from concern about violent breeds to concern about dogs, period, I think you're missing the point here. The circumstances leading to the death of this infant were not due to dog worship, or dog ownership being abnormally sentimental, or to permitting people to own dogs. People have been sentimental and permissive as dog owners for a very long time. What is new is the refusal of people who own breeds which were created for violent behavior to accept or acknowledge their chosen dog's background and potential, let alone doing anything to prevent it. Even as recently as the 1990s, people with Rotties and Presas would simply admit that yes, their beloved pets were substantially more dangerous than Dachshunds and Goldens. As the pit bull owners began to successfully employ aggressive, attack-style denials of the role of genetics in the violent behaviors of dog breeds, the owners and breeders of other violent breeds followed their lead. These people and their dogs are the major problem. I agree, most dog owners can be irritating, entitled and obnoxious. But that's not a sufficient reason to end the human/dog relationship. We just need to be sane about breeds which kill each other and us at an insane rate.

  17. Dog-friendly businesses​? When I hear that one, l make it a point to shop elsewhere​.

  18. The little female Rottweiler/Shepherd that I rescued was at a no kill shelter full of aggressive pit bulls. You couldn't go near a single cage without the pit bulls biting at the cages and trying to get to anyone that was in the shelter. I have owned the Rottie/Shepherd for over ten years now. She was said to be very cat aggressive so I never gave her the chance to be with cats. She has been great with people and other dogs. She was out of place with all those pit bulls.

  19. That top picture really makes my heart hurt. Susannah was so adorable, and her family decided that her life wasn't worth protecting and instead used her to try to make a freaking dog look good. And they failed. They used their own child as a test guinea pig and totally failed. They failed at parenthood. They failed to protect their child. And they especially failed to 'prove' that their pit would never hurt their family members. That's the only good failure that came out of this.

  20. I couldn't agree with you more Ka D! I don't feel it's fair to us, and members of a community, and it's not fair to the pets to put them in predicaments like this. Same thing in my neighborhood. I live in the Lee HS/Chicago Drive area, right across from the high school actually. Everyone has at least one dog… and it's safe to say there is definitely a good majority of pit bulls. It seems everyone just HAS to have one. I honestly don't remember the last time I saw a purebred anything in this area, because the Pitt mixes have become so invasive. My aunt has a Pitt named Jayda. Sweet as can be, but even my aunt advised against owning a pitt, because they are naturally stubborn and challenge their masters often. Her own dog cornered her a few times when she didn't feel like being a good listener. I don't know how anyone can live with that. I'd have enough rage in me to end a dogs (or any animal) life with my bare hands. She also noted that most Pitt owners end up beating their dogs into submission because of their stubborn demeanor. My neighborhood is full of riff-raft that let their animals roam the streets day and night. I think our neighbors husky was FINALLY picked up by animal control because he definitely was roaming the streets all the time. Poor guy was always so dirty and mangy-looking. He never chased anyone and was pretty easy to scare off, but still, you can't take your chances! However, he sure was not the last one off the streets, yet. In my eyes, it is some form of dog worship. And to another commenter, I would not insist that we end human/dog relationships, because animals still play very vital roles in human life and society. I just think that we should take measures much further to keep our streets and homes safe. Owning a pet isn't like getting a car, where we have to have coverage/protection for ourselves as drivers– although it should be. I'm advocating for months of training, classes, licensing, permits, and possibly some type of insurance or protection in the case of an accident or mauling. Or, we let animals play their natural role in our lives and that's it. I understand people like the companionship, but that's a personal WANT, not a need. Needing is shoes, clothing, housing— not the companionship of a pet. The irresponsible few really are ruining it for responsible pet owners and animal lovers. And if we have to take those "privileges" away from everyone for the sake of the majority, then so be it. It's becoming necessity. I'll never choose the companionship of an animal over human life. Owning pets for companionship is proving to be quite inhumane for the furries. So when are we going to end animal neglect and abuse?? I feel it's no different than abuse when people can't properly care for their pets and give them their best chances possible. That means protecting them and preventing them from being put in situations where they could hurt/maul another animal or human. Executing that "friendship" seems like a very formidable solution. Be fair to a few, or be fair to everyone? I'm in favor for all of us, collectively

  21. K-Hart, you hit the nail right on the head. The mindset these extremist animal lovers have is equivalent to a mental illness. In fact, my husbands step daughter (from previous marriage) was attacked and mauled by a German Shepherd type dog, while doing her job delivering pizza to a house and the owner did nothing to prevent his dog from lunging at her. Now, he ripped her leg up and didn't pay any mind to the fact that she had pizza… so what do you think that beast was really hungry for?? So, in my eyes, he obviously didn't attack her like, "Oh, boy! You have food." Because that may have ended in endless kisses… and not biting down on a leg to not let go. That dumbass girl of ours literally got up, and laughed it off and told the owner it was OKAY!! She didn't want the dog to be put down because it was its "first offense". First of all, how do you know that was the firs time that dog attacked, only because she had to report it because it happened on the clock?? I doubt it, from experience with my own. They bite and they bite again. She loves animals so much she would put another life at risk. I'm sorry, with as much as I liked having them for protection, if you have to put your dog/s away because they're aggressive around company, they shouldnt have a place in our homes. None of my families dogs behaved that way and got away with it. And I come from a hunting family, so we've had our share of dogs and mutts. And yes, if you wondered, my husbands step daughter did adopt a Pitt a couple months ago. One thing I'd like to note about her is that she is an emotional train wreck. She can't keep a boyfriend, she's rude, selfish, talks down to others, but wonders why no one wants to be around her at the end of the day… I feel these types of people are the ones that NEED animal companionship because they don't know how to act like a human being, or know how to deal with their own emotions. Same with this girl I've know for years. Had three dogs, I think. Her and her bf expecting their first child, but on the brink of homelessness, and no one that would allow their pittbulls, and were SO broken up about having to give up their pets, even though they were expecting a child, that they were going to refuse housing over their dogs!!! Emotional instability… that is the pattern I've observed in a lot of these animal loving freaks. Let's just all hope and pray natural selection takes its course, for the sake of the rest of us.

  22. Pit bull breeders, dog fighters, and rescue dog dealers (and their media associates) know how to manipulate the minds of naive teenagers to get kids to be youth army propagandists for the lucrative pit bull business.

    But it is also important to note that THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, all grown adults, fell for the same manipulation and pressure by the pit bull $business$ by repeating their "all dogs bite" propaganda.

    This is what happens when special interests and commercial industries are allowed to lie to the public and escape scrutiny and regulation, and members of the media do the dirty work for them.

    A teenager needs adult guidance and supervision, which this girl totally lacked, but adult public safety workers are supposed to work for the public!

  23. Oh, wait! Can't believe I forgot to add Ka D, about spay and neuter: but these nut cases will cry that it's cruel and inhumane!

  24. The ONLY reason to breed pit bulls is to perpetuate violent, aggressive dogs that have been selectively breed for hundreds of years by man INTENTIONALLY to attack and kill.

    Of course, that is sociopathic and greedy.

    So the pit bull industry decided to cover that up with things like the "all dogs bite' myth. They are trying to deny why fighting breeds exist and are bred.

    Keep a close watch on your animal control department websites and public information. If you find the "all dogs bite' excuse to deny the fighting breed problem, you will know they are working for pit bull industry $$$$$$ interests instead of pubic safety. And that needs to be fixed. and yes, as someone said, a lawsuit or notification by attorneys is often the only thing that will change it.

    Many people who work in animal control forgot they are public safety officers.

  25. Could someone clear up a few questions for me?

    Did one (or all?) of the dogs that murdered the baby get adopted from Kent County Animal Control?

    And is it true that the teenage girl (daughter of the mother of the baby) could not afford to pay vet bills and was begging for money using Kent County Animal control's FB page?

  26. Also who owned that house?

    The father of the baby says he lives in Detroit. He does not live at this address. He had asked the mother to get rid of these dogs, that three hundred-pound pit bulls don't belong near babies.

    But this house doesn't even seem to have enough yard space for one hundred pound dog, never mind three. Who let these people have three large fighting breeds on a property that doesn't even have the room for a normal dog?

    The neighbors are lucky it wasn't their child that was killed. This was a mauling waiting to happen. I wish that someone had cared enough to get Child Protective services involved earlier. The parent was letting the teenager put herself, the household and the entire neighborhood at risk.

  27. I would also love to hear others' opinions on this.

    It does not strike me that ANY of these pit bulls are "mixes." They appear to be the usual pits sold as puppies by pit bull breeders that either end up in shelters after they start to get older and cause trouble, or are purchased directly from the breeders.

    I know that Grand Rapids is infested with pit bull breeders cashing in on the marketing and lack of regulation that the pit bull lobby, the Kent County Animal Control department, and hypocritical humane groups like Best Friends and HSUS are engaging in.

  28. Ah, Best Friends. Over the weekend, I saw a young woman wearing a tee shirt with the BF logo and "Save Them All" slogan on the back. On the front? An image of our favorite dog with "Pit Bull Nation" beneath it.

    And where was this sweet little thing going? To our local humane society thrift store! Where pit bull adoptions are promoted!

  29. Never trust bully people.

    We may never know which dog(s) had evidence of the attack.

    That's why all dogs on the property should immediately be confiscated and all of the owners /handlers / dog users banned from any all dog ownership or contact for LIFE.

  30. I find it simply amazing and appalling that ANYONE would promote the killers of their tiny infant child! We see where these people's loyalties and love resides…on the dogs. They truly mean it when they say they love their dogs as much as their children. Sick, sick, sick. No one should EVER love an animal to the same extent that they love their children…it's disgusting! Anyway, ANYONE that protects these dogs above human life is a FOOL. People act as if this is a species in need of saving from the endangered list! It's NOT a species! They are a CREATED BREED that should NO LONGER BE BRED! The dogs could care less if another pit bull is ever born again. They are suffering MORE by continuing to breed them you selfish fools! When you breed them you are guaranteeing more will be abused through fighting , neglect, being abandoned etc. others will be put to death after harming someone. And you are also guaranteeing that more people will LOOSE THEIR LIVES AND BE MAULED! Someone please give ONE GOOD reason to continue this man made breed. Is it simply because YOU like the breed & think they are beautiful? Then YOU are a selfish monster that cares nothing about your fellow man NOR THE DOGS!

  31. The Canine Good Citizen test is just a worthless piece of paper. It was designed to give a false sense of security and try to fool the public and authorities with fake "authority."

    Support dogs are just pets. They are NOT service dogs.

    I wonder if a landlord was not getting concerned about these people filling this house with fighting breeds, and the illusory paperwork was obtained to force the situation.

    The neighbors had a ticking time bomb among them and were lucky not to be killed. They need to be vigilant because these people were willing to put their own children in jeopardy. They would not hesitate to put their neighbors at risk again.

  32. Joelande, you're right about the CGC. It's a fun certification to get with your pet and does show that a dog can be well-behaved during the test, but it's certainly no guarantee of anything–particularly with pit bulls which as we know have passed "temperament tests" immediately after fatally mauling a person. Fairly often, pit bull advocates argue in online comments sections about their pit bull having passed the CGC, being a service dog in training (or service dog, usually self-trained), being an emotional support animal, or being a therapy dog. One comment I saw online recently was a pit bull owner bragging about the extensive classes his/her pit bull had taken to pass the CGC. I had to laugh at that because years ago I had a very sweet little Shih-Tzu my family considered using as a therapy dog. One of the first steps in the process of getting him certified was passing the CGC. We didn't really train him for it, just took him to a show and he passed the test with no problems. 🙂

    I'm trying to share a little bit of humor in the midst of this horrific situation. The more I read about pit bulls, the more it's like living in an alternate universe. You just can't make this stuff up. 🙁

  33. If that pit bull can be an ESA, then I am entitled to a therapy cobra.

  34. Did you hear about the so called therapy dog allowed on a plane mauled and destroyed the face of a passenger sitting in seat next to the dog's owner.

  35. Very sad that no charges will be filed. At the least, child endangerment. Still, the law is what it is, and if the prosecutor feels the law doesn't cover this situation, then I understand that he doesn't want to waste money prosecuting the case. But I agree with this blog, that this means the law needs to change so that it would clearly cover cases like this.

  36. How can this be?

    Well, it can happen when local officialdom is infiltrated by animal rights extremists. This has happened to animal control agencies all over the country. Police departments have also been affected.

  37. I don't consider pit nutters to be animal rights supporters, "extreme" or otherwise. They show this every day when they mock and dismiss the tens of thousands of other pets pit bulls kill annually.
    True animal rights advocacy is represented by people such as Merritt and Beth Clifton, who recognize that compassion for all species–including the human species–is the true face of the cause.

  38. I wonder if the AKC will revoke Rhino's CGC? Or, would that be just too harsh a penalty?

  39. I read on a pit bull forum a post about how one pit owner got her Human Aggressive pit bull to pass a CGC after a lot of training for it.

    That is a dog that wants to bite people, with a certification calling it a "good citizen".

    Clearly the CGC isn't a temperament test at all, it's just proof of a certain standard of training. Doesn't mean a CGC dog won't attack someone or something in normal everyday life outside of the test conditions.

  40. Way too harsh of a penalty. Why, it might even hurt Rhino's feelings!

  41. Sorry, I am unable to connect the dots –
    no one is to be prosecuted for an infant's savage death?
    No one to protect the infant from a demonstrably savage breed of dog?
    We live in a civilized society? I think NOT.
    (Grand Rapids… you need a new, more energetic prosecutor.)

  42. I don't understand this. It sounds like the prosecutor is saying that he can't prosecute, because he doesn't know which dog actually killed the baby. Why would this matter? The same human owned all 3 dogs, and this same human was responsible for supervising all 3 dogs and for supervising the baby (regardless of whether one of the dogs 'belonged' to another minor child in the family, the parent is the one legally responsible.) I don't see how it matters which dog actually did the killing, in terms of prosecuting the owner for neglect/manslaughter/failure to control a dangerous dog/or any other suitable charge.

  43. The reason they don't face charges is because the CITY pound that adopts these dogs out are in bed with the CITY police. They give you a pit bull and if it kills your children or your neighbor's children they give you a pass. It makes me sick. This is a family of white trash sociopaths.

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