Customs Patrol Dog Attacks Child

[dac]

Horrible.

wusa9.com

DULLES, Va. (WUSA) -- Dulles Airport and Customs officials have confirmed a Customs and Border Protection K-9 in training attacked a 4-year-old girl just after 12 p.m. Thursday at Dulles International Airport.

The child was there with her mother and a younger sibling picking up a friend coming from Argentina.

Officials have not yet confirmed why the dog attacked the child, but she was bitten once and received a cut that was a half inch deep and two inches wide.

The child's grandmother tells 9NEWS NOW the dog bit the girl just under her pelvis and refused to let her go. The dog would not release her, even as the handler gave the command to release.

As her mother tried to intervene, she received numerous bites to her hand.

The dog was eventually subdued by its handler, and the girl was transported to Reston Hospital in serious condition.

[Peregrino]

With any luck the law suit will result in policy changes. Unfortunately that's the only way to hold the Gov't accountable (and that's not a sure thing). Pity a lawyer will get rich in the process.

[mojaveman]

Do you suppose there was anything unusual about the girl that may have triggered the attack?

I've worked with K-9s in the past and they are usually very well trained and disciplined. Then again, they are still animals.

We had a local K-9 trainer go out of business because his legal expenses were too high. In many of the cases where he was sued the law enforcement personnel who used his dogs were justified in using that level of force. This is a blameless society though and I also live in Kalifornia.

[rdret1]

Originally Posted by Brush Okie

That is horrible. IMHO they should be using sniffing dogs only, not attack dogs in that enviroment. While bite dogs have their place a crowded airport is not one of them. Bomb/drug sniffing dogs are better than high tech IMHO so I am not anti K-9, they just don't need bite dogs.

Our K-9's (Wilson PD) are trained to detect drugs , a couple explosive dogs, and still be able to apprehend suspects. "Attacking" is part of their training as well. That being said, they do demonstrations with children all of the time and none of them have ever acted aggressively toward one. Just from what the article said, the K-9 in question was still in training, which makes it sound like the dog was not certified yet.

[kgoerz]

I know the NYPD I worked with. Always had to keep their attack Dogs out of reach of the public. Don't know if it was policy or just being smart.
Either behind a counter or some type of barrier where no one could reach it. They were very aggressive, the way they should be. The sniffing Dogs on the other hand were always out and about with the public.
There are also signs all over Airports and Train stations telling the public not to approach or pet these Dogs at any time. Yet I saw people do it. Even people telling their kids it was OK to Pet the Cute Dog.

[AngelsSix]

Not to be a smartass, but what was the dog doing off leash in a terminal with people in it if it was a.) not certified, and b.) doing "training"? Just wondering....

The command we use to alert others that we are releasing a dog for whatever is "dog off leash, freeze!!" If you move after that, you are going to get bit, the dog will go after the first thing it sees moving, sometimes ignoring the "bad guy" and going after a fellow LEO, because he/she was still moving and they just happened to be the closest thing moving away. I almost got bite during an exercise because I never heard the handler yell.

[rdret1]

Originally Posted by AngelsSix

Not to be a smartass, but what was the dog doing off leash in a terminal with people in it if it was a.) not certified, and b.) doing "training"? Just wondering....

The command we use to alert others that we are releasing a dog for whatever is "dog off leash, freeze!!" If you move after that, you are going to get bit, the dog will go after the first thing it sees moving, sometimes ignoring the "bad guy" and going after a fellow LEO, because he/she was still moving and they just happened to be the closest thing moving away. I almost got bite during an exercise because I never heard the handler yell.

Good point about the leash. Our handlers do keep them on a leash in public places other than demos, which are controlled environments. I haven't been bit while chasing a suspect when the dog was released but have had a couple buddies that have. They had the same problem and didn't hear the release. Of course we ragged them to no end.

[Leozinho]

Originally Posted by Brush Okie

That is horrible. IMHO they should be using sniffing dogs only, not attack dogs in that enviroment. While bite dogs have their place a crowded airport is not one of them. Bomb/drug sniffing dogs are better than high tech IMHO so I am not anti K-9, they just don't need bite dogs.

Where does say it was an attack dog? The article says it was a drug/bomb dog.

If it has teeth, it can bite.

The last time I passed through Dulles a 13 inch Beagle sniffed my bags. I doubt it was trained for duel sniffing and attack.


Where does it say the dog was off the leash?

[echoes]

Remember standing at the end of a very s-l-o-w line at the Aeropuerto in Lima, around midnight, waiting to check-in for my flight home to the U.S., and I will never forget the "dog!" There I was just standing there with my suitcase parked next to me, and up it came behind me...large, brownish, like a GS in appearence. It's nose was to the ground, around my feet, and my bag.

Remember glancing down at it, and just thought, well, okey-dokey then! Eventually, it went to sniff someone else...cannot imagine trying to fight that thing off..

Hope the little girl is okay...

Holly

[relentless]

Dogs can smell fear. Yes, fear has a scent. I worked for several years to turn around a pit I had adopted. The dog was raised wrong and wasn't socialized with other dogs. I didn't trust my dog around anyone. It sounds like the little girl may have startled the dog.

Originally Posted by relentless

Dogs can smell fear. Yes, fear has a scent. I worked for several years to turn around a pit I had adopted. The dog was raised wrong and wasn't socialized with other dogs. I didn't trust my dog around anyone. It sounds like the little girl may have started the dog.

Yes, let's blame a kid in an airport full of people.

[Ryanr]

Originally Posted by relentless

Dogs can smell fear. Yes, fear has a scent. I worked for several years to turn around a pit I had adopted. The dog was raised wrong and wasn't socialized with other dogs. I didn't trust my dog around anyone. It sounds like the little girl may have started the dog.

Seems to me that fear was precisely the right feeling, given what the dog did...

[AngelsSix]

Originally Posted by Ryanr

Seems to me that fear was precisely the right feeling, given what the dog did...

I have to disagree, this may not be the case at all.
I have a GSD that was not raised around children, therefore, HE is skittish around the squalling little brats. He is not mean at all, but kids freak him out. He has a tendency to bolt in fear, taking me with him, which is dangerous because I weigh all of 120. If he heads straight to the road in front of a car, I cannot stop him.
I have had to literally yell "stop!!" because kids see Max, start running toward him yelling "doggie!!" I have no idea why kids do this. You would think they would be taught that it can be dangerous to run towards a dog. But in this case, that may be exactly what happened....

[echoes]

Originally Posted by panama jack

Sounds like the dog got spooked for some reason. My heart goes out to the little girl.

A true unbiased statement sir. Am hoping that more FACTS come out in this case, and the conjecture can be put to rest.

Holly

[Richard]

A better perspective on the matter.

http://morrisonworldnews.com/?p=7100

Richard