girl scarred from one bite from husky

this is from our local paper in Prince Edward Island, Canada


Wednesday, May 18, 2005
New Haven girl is scarred by one bite from a husky
By Jim Day, The Guardian

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/image.aspx?ImageType=NewsStory&StoryID=34811


Days after the mauling, Glenda Perry is still overcome by her daughter’s unsettling appearance.
One vicious bite by a “good-size’’ dog has left eight-year-old Bailie’s face badly scarred, an eye bruised and her mouth askew.

Glenda Perry of New Haven is cut deeply by the altered look of her daughter. Her pretty girl with long, blond hair now peers out of blue eyes from a damaged face that required close to 80 stitches, including about 20 inside her mouth.

“I know she’ll be back to the beautiful girl she was,’’ said mom, choking back tears. “She’s still a beautiful girl.’’

Perry prayed her daughter’s face had been spared when she learned of the attack by a dog she estimates weighed between 80 and 100 pounds.

Her husband, Duane, was with Bailie visiting friends on Saturday. Bailie went out on the deck by herself to pet the husky — a dog she had played with a few times in the past without incident.

As soon as she started petting the dog it chomped down on the girl’s face. Doctors later estimated just one bite did all the damage, including knocking out a tooth.

“I couldn’t feel my face at all,’’ the youngster said of the attack. “Now when I feel my cheek, it feels all weird.’’

After the bite, Bailie ran towards the house. Her father, alerted by the commotion, met her on the deck. Duane quickly got his daughter in the truck and rushed her to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Glenda learned from a quick call that Bailie was bitten by a dog and was being taken to hospital. She charged off not knowing what to expect.

“I just kept saying ‘please not her face, please not her face’,’’ said Glenda. “And when I saw her, I near dropped.’’

The couple where at the hospital with their daughter for about 90 minutes. Bailie was patched up, but no plastic surgeon was available at the QEH, so Glenda and Duane were forced to take their girl to Halifax.

A plastic surgeon at the IWK children’s hospital spent 2.5 hours working on Bailie. Glenda is hopeful scarring will be minimal.

Worried Bailie might be traumatized by dogs after the ordeal, Glenda asked her daughter if she was comfortable with the family’s own dog — a boxer. Bailie said she wants to keep the dog, which has been the family pet since September.

The dog that bit Bailie is expected to be put down. Glenda believes the husky’s shots were up to date.

Unfortunate but after reading it, I looked at the pic and it wasn't nearly as bad as I had pictured... I don't know about the one bite thing-- I guess since she is so young, it's possible.

Why people leave kids alone with any dog... Especially dogs that are not theirs. :mad:

That poor little girl. It's good that she is not traumatized by the situation.

“I know she’ll be back to the beautiful girl she was,’’ said mom, choking back tears. “She’s still a beautiful girl.’’

“I just kept saying ‘please not her face, please not her face’,’’ said Glenda. “And when I saw her, I near dropped.’’

What's up with that? I know people think weird things during a tramatic situation, but really. I think I'd be worried that someone would die.

It's sad that all these stories lead back to some sort of irresponsibility. Don't leave kids unattended with a dog.

Has anyone else noticed lately that more and more attack stories are coming out that don't involve pit bulls?

Why people leave kids alone with any dog...

I feel sorry for this little girl and her parents, but I don't agree that kids can't be alone with dogs. I have no doubt that Blaze would never hurt any child, last weekend he played outside with a friends son he is 9. I was a lone with my dogs well I grow up and would never want to worry about MY dogs now biting or hurting anyone. My opinion is it depends on the dog.

I paused at the "please not her face" type comments, too. My first reaction was "Hmm, it's clear what her priorities are", if her first worry is her daughter's looks and getting her back the to "the beautiful girl she was".

But now I really don't know what to think. I imagined if my son had had his face disfigured, and at that age. Would I rather it be his arm or leg disfigured? I have to admit that the answer is yes. Kids can be so cruel, and there would be no way to protect him from the thoughtless comments and teasing from others ("scarface comes to mind in a singsong taunting voice).

I even thought about teasing when I named him. I made sure it didn't rhyme with anything bad...."Logan Logan the big fat......(Logan?)".

So, I'm on the fence.

I dont agree that it depends on the dog, even the most stable of dogs with responsible children can make a mistake! I know two people that I would consider to be very responsible, both had traditional "family type dogs" one a lab and the other a golden. The golden, a trusted family member, family had four kids, bit one of the kids friends, it turned out that the golden had hip displacia, and no one new til it bit one of the child. So sure the dog was great with kids and the kids, good with dogs, but still a child was bitten. Luckily they found the golden a home in the country with a family without kids. The lab, owned by one of the Toronto Maple leafs, was sleeping and a kid startled it, when it woke up it bit the kid, they had the dog put down! :sad: I totally understand were you are coming from on this Golden Blaze, as when I was growing up kids and dogs were always alone with one another and I thought that that was what one would expect from the dog {with an older child}but after all the horror stories that we have heard of late, I have definately changed my mind!

I love my Boo and I trust my Boo wholeheartedly with kids, when I am there. He is so patient and he LOVES kids. But, as kennel workers know, a dog with its owner and a dog away from its owner are very often two different dogs. You can't be 100% sure of how the dog will react when you are not there.

When I'm studying and I haven't looked up in hours, sometimes I catch Jemma extremely quietly humping Boo. She has never ever humped him while she knew we were watching. I also left a tape recorder on one day because my neighbors told me my babies were barking all day... The thing taped whenever there was a noise and shut off in between. Jemma, who NEVER plays tug of war with anybody ever, tugged with Boo for almost 10 minutes. You just don't know what they're gonna do when you're not there.

My doggies are so desensitized, but kids are very creative. Maybe my doggies have ONE button I haven't found yet that might set them off. I won't risk my doggies lives by leaving them unattended with kids.

Hi,

I can see there is contreversy over the "please not her face." I really don't think it is cause of beauty. My cousin was attacked by a pit bull and when my aunt heard the first thing she also said was "please not her face."

On the face you have your nose, eyes, mouth.. You can easily go blind, lose a sense of smell or have your nose ripped rite off, maybe your jaw broken... Every where is bad but your face is so preciouse.

Also I think it was teasing issue to, but I don't think the mother really cared at that moment just cared for her daughter's life.

Kate

A dog is a dog. The nicest dog can bite or even attack.

Great points, Kate. All of them.

I think kids should be taught to respect dogs as soon as they know how to walk and dog and should never be left alone with any dog their own or anyone elses. My kids have no fear of dogs no matter what the size they just want to go up and pet them. Someone bought their huge mastiff dog to my sons martial arts class (don't no why they brought their dog in the gym but thats another story) the trainer freaked out and was afraid of dogs. My two kids went up to the owner and asked politely if they could pet him. We had to go over this alot until they finally got it as they would just run up to any dog and start petting it but now they always ask. They know not to pet a dog that is lose no matter how friendly he may seem. I think parents need to protect their kids and their animals.