Rottweiler kills ten-year-old boy in Elimäki
|
|
|
Finland’s dog enthusiasts are baffled by Sunday's incident, in which a Rottweiler mauled to death a ten-year-old boy in the family’s home yard. Rottweiler breeders deny allegations that the breed would be more dangerous than any other breed of dogs.
The incident took place on Sunday afternoon at around 1 p.m. in the southern municipality of Elimäki, where at least one of a family’s two full-grown male Rottweilers attacked the boy in the family’s yard.
According to the Elimäki municipal veterinarian Markku Hämäläinen, who has dealt with the dogs in question before, the boy was a relatively new member to the family. This may have had an effect on the animals’ pack behaviour.
While seeing the dogs, Hämäläinen did not notice anything unusual about their behaviour. He does not know what might have caused them to attack the boy.
The boy succumbed to his injuries at the scene. There are no witnesses to the accident.
According to the police, both dogs had previously behaved normally. Both animals were later put down by the vet.
There are no criminal suspicions in connection with what happened.
Crisis counselling has been offered to the boy’s next of kin.
According to chairman Jouni Nummela of the Finnish Rottweiler Association, it is extremely rare that a Rottweiler should attack a human being. “I cannot say that a Rottweiler would be any more difficult to raise than any other dog”, he claims.
Animal trainer Tommy Wirén, in turn, says that banning certain breeds or making muzzles compulsory would not benefit anybody. In Wirén’s view for example Golden Retrievers bite people more often than Rottweilers or Pit Bulls.
Previously dogs have killed three people in Finland. The dogs involved were a Bullmastiff, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and a mixed-breed. The person killed by the Bullmastiff was a 22-year-old woman. The other two victims were a two-year-old boy and a two-week old baby.
Last summer, a seven-year-old girl was severely hurt in Vähäkyrö by a friend’s young Rottweiler, which attacked the girl and bit her in the arm and in the neck.
In the past ten years, at least four children have been mauled to death by a Rottweiler in Europe and the United States.
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 18.3.2008 - TODAY |
 Rottweiler kills ten-year-old boy in Elimäki |
|
