A Rottweiler killed a one-year-old boy in North Carolina on May 4, 2014. His name was Nyhiem Wilfong and it happened at his grandfather’s house. The latter was asleep; no other adults were present. The dog was chained and accessible to the toddler and his older brother, and had lived at the household only 3 weeks.
This accident was entirely foreseeable and preventable. Four of six factors from the Dog Attack Danger Scale were present: the breed was a Rottweiler, the dog was in its own yard with no master present, the dog was new to the household, and it was chained. The presence of two or more factors on the Dog Attack Danger Scale indicate that the dog should be avoided. In this case, there were 4 factors, and to make things worse, the children were unsupervised and the dog was accessible — a prescription for tragedy.
Parents and dog owners should be aware of the 6 factors set forth by the Dog Attack Danger Scale. To learn what they are, read A Dog Attack Danger Scale To Keep You and Your Kids Safe.