Father jailed over deadly dog attack on baby son - Sensationalist Headlines

[QUOTE]A father who drunkenly slept through a sustained, fatal attack by the family dog on his three-week-old son has been jailed for 21 months. Reggie Young’s mother, Maria Blacklin, screamed when she came home to find him barely alive, with her partner, Ryan Young, and their Lakeland-cross, Tricky, asleep. Newcastle crown court heard that the attack by the foot-tall dog could easily have been stopped, but the father did not wake up and the mauling may have lasted up to 20 minutes. Young, a roofer, later told police he had drunk eight cans of lager, and a taxi driver came forward to say he had been asked to deliver eight more to Young’s Sunderland address on the evening in June 2015. Blacklin’s grandmother had died that day and she had gone out to console her family, leaving Young to look after Reggie, who was in a bouncer in the lounge. The court heard that the dog was kept in the garden and normally only allowed in the kitchen, but there were no concerns over its temperament around children; it was not a fighting dog or used in vermin control. [/QUOTE] Is he likely ever to do this again? Isn't it stupid to give a man that lost his mother and then his kid such a hard sentence? If this sentence deters anyone else from being similarly irresponsible, wouldn't just reading about the death of the baby be equally effective? [url]https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/sep/08/father-jailed-over-deadly-dog-attack-on-baby-son[/url]

You need to read the article more closely. The man's mother didn't die, it was the grandmother of the mom of the child. Regardless it is a tragedy, and criminal negligence is a thing for good reason IMO. Was this a freak accident? Maybe. But it is the man's responsibility to protect his child, and he was unable due to being irresponsibly inebriated. And being inebriated doesn't magically make you immune to laws, thank god.

[quote] Newcastle crown court heard that the attack by the foot-tall dog could easily have been stopped, but the father did not wake up and the mauling may have lasted up to 20 minutes.[/quote] jesus

[quote]Isn't it stupid to give a man that lost his mother and then his kid such a hard sentence? [/quote] Disregarding that he didn't lose his mother, nope. He got completely fucking smashed and left his 3-WEEK-OLD son basically alone with a dog that had never even been around the kid. There needs to be [I]some[/I] kind of consequence for that.

if I have a dog, I don't care how much we love it or how many years it's been with us or how much it's shown it's kind and sweet. I wouldn't leave it unattended with my little kids.

I wonder if the dog was unfamiliar with the son? Dogs usually don't tend to attack their owners or associated friends out of the blue, unless they have a pre-existing temperament and/or abuse history.

Its super unfair to put this guy down for the whole situation, it really just sounds like a horrible tragedy and i hope everyone can pull through this.

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;52671333]Its super unfair to put this guy down for the whole situation, it really just sounds like a horrible tragedy and i hope everyone can pull through this.[/QUOTE] Its hardly unfair, you get fucking wasted when you're meant to be looking after your baby and it dies in a totally avoidable incident because you were too drunk to stop it then you are responsible.

[QUOTE=RainbowStalin;52671378]Its hardly unfair, you get fucking wasted when you're meant to be looking after your baby and it dies in a totally avoidable incident because you were too drunk to stop it then you are responsible.[/QUOTE] Yeah but it still fucking sucks for everyone involved. Like god damn.

[QUOTE=aznz888;52671291]I wonder if the dog was unfamiliar with the son?[/QUOTE] [quote]Inquiries suggested the baby fell or was dragged from the bouncer and was mauled by the terrier, which had not had contact with the newborn before and may have been driven to attack by Reggie’s “uncoordinated” movements.[/quote]

Human negligence aside, 'the hell is wrong with the dog? Even animals can recognize a baby.

Territory aggression, fear, anything that differentiates from the norm for the dog that seems like it could be a threat.

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;52671333]Its super unfair to put this guy down for the whole situation, it really just sounds like a horrible tragedy and i hope everyone can pull through this.[/QUOTE] he was drunk, if anything this is too lenient

[QUOTE=Talvy;52671420]Human negligence aside, 'the hell is wrong with the dog? Even animals can recognize a baby.[/QUOTE] The dog had never seen the baby before that day the dog entered its territory and saw this unfamiliar thing that doesn't look, sound or smell like anything it's seen before. Usually dogs understand a new baby based on the actions of the owner towards said baby, dogs are VERY good a picking up things based on the body language and disposition of their owners. When they see their owners holding a baby and based on how they treat it they very quickly figure out its now part of the family. This dog had probably never seen any of that so it just sees this strange... thing in its territory and becomes defensive as a result.

[QUOTE=unrezt;52671464]he was drunk, if anything this is too lenient[/QUOTE] Dude when my dad died at the beginning of the year it seriously felt like my brain shut half of itself down. I could think of nothing except how horrible it felt and i was drinking and doing a lot of drugs to cope. Im not saying hes free from criticism here but people handle trauma in their own ways and youve gotta show some empathy for the situation

[QUOTE=loopoo;52670619]if I have a dog, I don't care how much we love it or how many years it's been with us or how much it's shown it's kind and sweet. I wouldn't leave it unattended with my little kids.[/QUOTE] If you know your dog, this shouldn't be an issue. Dogs have helped with raising human children for millennia. I have three dogs and they are super helpful when raising kids. The issue here is that three weeks is too young to be left unattended period.

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;52671719]Dude when my dad died at the beginning of the year it seriously felt like my brain shut half of itself down. I could think of nothing except how horrible it felt and i was drinking and doing a lot of drugs to cope. Im not saying hes free from criticism here but people handle trauma in their own ways and youve gotta show some empathy for the situation[/QUOTE] There's no indication that his partners grandmothers death was the reason for his drinking, if he was so upset why didn't he take the baby and go with her to console her family? Dude was drunk and negligent. I'm not denying this is a shitty situation but a child died because of this, trying to give this guy excuses isn't the right thing to do.

[QUOTE=eirexe;52669954]Is he likely ever to do this again?[/QUOTE] if a guy raped you and you kick him in the back, leaving him paralyzed, he shouldnt go to jail?

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;52671719]Dude when my dad died at the beginning of the year it seriously felt like my brain shut half of itself down. I could think of nothing except how horrible it felt and i was drinking and doing a lot of drugs to cope. Im not saying hes free from criticism here but people handle trauma in their own ways and youve gotta show some empathy for the situation[/QUOTE] This has way more to do with sympathy than it does empathy. As someone who has lost someone close due to drunken negligence, I have none for this man. Maybe it isn't strictly objective thinking, but I believe punishments for this sort of thing are always too light.

[QUOTE=GunFox;52671739]If you know your dog, this shouldn't be an issue. Dogs have helped with raising human children for millennia. I have three dogs and they are super helpful when raising kids. The issue here is that three weeks is too young to be left unattended period.[/QUOTE] The amount of stories out there of "harmless family dog attacks X" out there is reason enough to say that while you can reasonably trust dogs, you should not ever leave them alone with something that can't defend themselves from it. Every single authority on Dog Ownership tells you not to leave a kid alone with a dog, it's sound advice. Not just because the Dog could attack for no reason, but because the Kid can piss a dog off and bring on an attack.

[QUOTE=Fr3ddi3;52671868]The amount of stories out there of "harmless family dog attacks X" out there is reason enough to say that while you can reasonably trust dogs, you should not ever leave them alone with something that can't defend themselves from it. Every single authority on Dog Ownership tells you not to leave a kid alone with a dog, it's sound advice. Not just because the Dog could attack for no reason, but because the Kid can piss a dog off and bring on an attack.[/QUOTE] I feel like people have been ruined in the age of the small dog. Small dogs are fun little animals, but they are fun like a cat. You have to know their limits because they are sort of neurotic. I have two cats, I love them, but I know better than to trust them with a small person. Small dogs are often, but certainly not always, of a similar fashion. Terriers, which this dog was, are small territorial assholes. Super loyal to their owner, but a serious bite risk. I have a corgi wiener dog mix and I would never leave him alone with a child, but my other two full sized breeds, a shep/lab and a doberman, are great with kids. Larger, more traditional, breeds that aren't raised like shit are generally going to be extremely helpful. My niece was visiting and the folks who mow the lawn left my back fence unlatched. She went outside (Fenced, normally padlocked, backyard with a privacy fence.) while I was making lunch. My lab/shep mix physically got between her and the open fence and pushed her back to the door and then barked until I went and shut it. Breeds like Siberian Huskies are known specifically for their ability to care for children. I had a husky, it is a weird thing to watch. Huskies are super fun dogs, but they are stubborn and intelligent. Watching one possess infinite patience with a child is fun.

[QUOTE=GunFox;52672060]I feel like people have been ruined in the age of the small dog. Small dogs are fun little animals, but they are fun like a cat. You have to know their limits because they are sort of neurotic. I have two cats, I love them, but I know better than to trust them with a small person. Small dogs are often, but certainly not always, of a similar fashion. Terriers, which this dog was, are small territorial assholes. Super loyal to their owner, but a serious bite risk. I have a corgie weiner dog mix and I would never leave him alone with a child, but my other two full sized breeds, a shep/lab and a doberman, are great with her. Larger, more traditional, breeds that aren't raised like shit are generally going to be extremely helpful. My niece was visiting and the folks who mow the lawn left my back fence unlatched. She went outside (Fenced, normally padlocked, backyard with a privacy fence.) while I was making lunch. My lab/shep mix physically got between her and the open fence and pushed her back to the door and then barked until I went and shut it. Breeds like Siberian Huskies are known specifically for their ability to care for children. I had a husky, it is a weird thing to watch. Huskies are super fun dogs, but they are stubborn and intelligent. Watching one possess infinite patience with a child is fun.[/QUOTE] Don't get me wrong I too know from experience how wonderful dogs can be around children both as a child and an adult and i completely agree that the owners need to understand their dogs and how to bring them up and where their place within a family is, but when all is said and done dogs are still animals with a mouth full of sharp teeth no less and it only takes a momentary laspe of judgement, a single bite with force or a scratch across the face to seriously hurt a child. Something which is entierly avoidable. There's degrees of 'leaving a child alone with a dog though, i'd be ok with being in the next room for a few moments but I wouldnt leave the house, or get royally shitfaced and leave a kid alone at all let alone with a dog.

[QUOTE=eirexe;52669954]Is he likely ever to do this again?[/QUOTE] uh, maybe? I'm sure he's devastated but the fact remains he drunk himself to sleep while caring for a baby. it's criminal negligence, not a freak accident. if it wasn't the dog, it would have been any other of the 100's of terrible ways a baby could be harmed, eventually

[QUOTE=Fr3ddi3;52671868]The amount of stories out there of "harmless family dog attacks X" out there is reason enough to say that while you can reasonably trust dogs, you should not ever leave them alone with something that can't defend themselves from it. Every single authority on Dog Ownership tells you not to leave a kid alone with a dog, it's sound advice. Not just because the Dog could attack for no reason, but because the Kid can piss a dog off and bring on an attack.[/QUOTE] Can confirm. Was attacked by a similar dog as in the story when I was 4 months old (I think) myself. Crawled up to dogs food bowl and was inspecting it. Dog but my knuckles and face multiple times

Never drink with kids, because anything that happens -even if not by your exact doing- is now on your hands. You're responsible for a child 100% of the time as an adult. Also, read the full story, OP.

[QUOTE=loopoo;52670619]if I have a dog, I don't care how much we love it or how many years it's been with us or how much it's shown it's kind and sweet. I wouldn't leave it unattended with my little kids.[/QUOTE] To be honest, I totally would with mine. I'm not sure if that's a mistake or not, but my dogs have proven time and time again that they're trustworthy when it comes to people, especially children.

This is why whenever I see videos like this I cringe [video]https://youtu.be/WzXyqS093Bw[/video]

[QUOTE=No Party Hats;52671333]Its super unfair to put this guy down for the whole situation, it really just sounds like a horrible tragedy and i hope everyone can pull through this.[/QUOTE] A horrible tragedy, yeah, but one that could and [I]should[/I] have been prevented by the father. While in sole care of his infant child, he decided to become blackout drunk and pass out. That is criminal negligence. The child didn't die because he was mauled by a dog, he died because the father [I]let[/I] him get mauled by a dog by prioritizing his drink over his kid. Basically, don't drink to the point of unconsciousness if you are supposed to be watching a baby.

[QUOTE=Talvy;52671420]Human negligence aside, 'the hell is wrong with the dog? Even animals can recognize a baby.[/QUOTE] Where I live there are very few small children. My brother's dog first saw a child up close when she was about 1 and a half (the dog, the kid was 4). She was incredibly confused and a little scared of the child, she even left the room when the kid got close to her because it was so weird for her. I can easily see a dog which has never seen a baby feel threatened by it if the baby is flailing toys around. Still incredibly unfortunate and immensely irresponsible of the father.