

14 thoughts on “2009 Dog Bite Fatality: Newborn Killed by Pet Pit Bull in Hardy County

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  1. "…the baby and the family pit bull, Nila, was in the room. The mother left the room to answer the phone, and when she came back, she says Nila was acting weird around the baby, according to Burrows. Burrows says the family's German Shepherd mix dog, Harley, also came in and both dogs began acting weird. Then, police say Nila grabbed the baby by the head, shook it around, and eventually tossed him in the air."


  2. Pushed the dogs out through an open window:

    "The mother’s 17-year-old daughter then entered the room, cornered the dogs and eventually was able to push them through an open window. The mother assisted the baby until emergency medical personnel arrived. The child succumbed to his injuries while en route to the helicopter landing zone."

  3. This has to be what…. DBRF number 60 in under four years for the Pit Bull Community?

    That VA Anti-BSL provision is working out great! Way to go Dog Lobby!

  4. Six months pregnant and goes out and purchases a Pit Bull…Great idea!

    None dare call it MANSLAUGHTER!

  5. The question is was this a pit bull who had problems in the relative's area, and then got "shuffled" to this woman's house?

  6. The pit bull might have come out of Prince George's County, Maryland that bans pit bulls!

  7. Did anyone notice the signifigance of this attack? The same "irresponsible owner" owned a pit bull and a German shepard. Both dogs were present, and in the toddlers bedroom. Yet only the pit bull killed the child. The German shepard had no part in the attack. So if pit bulls kill due to irresponsible owners, why didn't the German shepard join in? This is whats known as a scientifically controlled evaluation. It is the breed. Period. Ditto for the 2nd most recent fatal attack in Lessburg. The family pit bulls killed the guy in his own house. Yet, the same family owned a pug, that was loose in the house. The pug never attacked the owner – in fact it was also killed by the pit bulls….following the nutters "irresponsible owner" logic – the pug should have at least mauled a family member.

  8. This is so horrific and makes my blood boil. The Pit Community should be ashamed! They talk out of both sides of their mouths, claiming pits are nanny dogs and will only lick you to death and are so loyal, etc, but when something like this happens, they rail against the fellow pit nutter and say, "What an idiot! You should never leave children around any dog unsupervised!" Well, what is the truth, nutters? Nanny dogs, or never to be trusted around children?

    I also hate the way they like to say that pits can't possibly be human aggressive because man-biters were always culled, yet when a man-biter gets put down, they cry foul — poor doggy! Not his fault! He should be rehabilitated and given a good canine certificate and sent to another (unsuspecting) family to live out his doggy days with love and kisses!"

    Will the madness never end?????

  9. The madness will never end as long as people are making big money off these breeds, and governments refuse to stand up to the lobbyists and say enough is enough.

  10. I'm a very empathetic person, and every fiber of my being feels intense sorrow for this new mother. I can imagine what it would have been like to have my newborn child killed by a family pet in front of my own eyes, and then to try in vain to save my infant's life. I can imagine it, and it makes me sob in heaves. And then there is the guilt she must be feeling — the terrible hindsight — because this was a completely preventable tragedy.
    One of my good friends loves pit bulls. She had a "lovable" pit. When discussing pit bulls, she hits all of the pit nutter talking points. She talks about having her pit lovingly curl up around her newborn. I know that she believes the propaganda with all her being, and believes the things reported on this site are the real propaganda.
    So, I am sure that this poor new mother must have also believed the nanny dog myth. How horrible that she had to learn the truth through the ultimate sacrifice a mother can make.

  11. I personally know this family and i just want to let everyone know that they have had Nila the pit bull since she was a puppy. This family has raised Nila, it was never bought from a family member in MD.

  12. That is so sad, Anon. I'm sure this family never ever thought Nila could or would do such a thing. I'm sure they never abused their pit bull and loved her. It is just so so very sad, and my heart breaks for this family.

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