Grandpa Rescues Toddler From Pit Bull Attack


Saturday, 26 May 2007
http://www.myfoxkc.com

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- One Metro grandfather lived a nightmare on Saturday when he saw a dog attack his three-year-old granddaughter in Kansas City, Mo.

Raymond Stanley went outside to feed his cat around 10:30 a.m. and let his granddaughter O'Leah come with him. Raymond gave the toddler a biscuit to give a nearby pit bull, and turned away.

The next thing he heard was his granddaughter screaming.

"Just like that I was making the turn to go feed that cat, and he was on top of her - had her knocked down on the sidewalk like he was fighting another dog," Stanley said.

Stanley reacted quickly, pulling the dog off of his granddaughter.

"I started pulling the dog away from the little girl, and you can see I got all that blood all over me," Stanley said of the morning scare.
The little girl is at Children's Mercy Hospital, but will recover.

Robin Lilly has been training dogs for more than 25 years. Lilly said there are ways to prevent incident's like the one Stanley experienced.

"A small child should really never be allowed to give a dog treats," Lilly said. Lilly explained that a child's size and stature makes them want to hold a treat up at the animal, "so the dog's going to lunge for that treat, and a lot of times that's just exactly how accidents happen."

Lilly said you should always reiterate how important it is to be gentle with dogs, and teach them the proper way to approach the animal. She said you should keep in mind that not all dogs are friendly, and if one shows aggression, just slowly walk away.

(Note: IT'S NOT MENTIONED IN THIS STORY, BUT ON THE NEWSCAST THEY FOCUSED IN ON THE DOG'S CHAIN.)