Don't panic! Of all the dog mauling deaths in the state of California, no dog owner has been convicted for murder and barely one percent have done time for manslaughter. Thus, the odds are in your favor, but just to play it safe, follow these steps: 1) Send flowers to the grieving family and have your dog euthanised immediately. This creates good will, and prevents the District Attorney from using your dog as evidence against you. (You can buy a new dog later) 2) Retain legal representation. Preferably a lawyer who owns dogs. 3) Hide all monetary assets. When the shock wears off, the surviving family will file a class action wrongful death lawsuit against you. The time to become broke is now. 4) Get all veteranarian records and such secured to prove you have always been a good dog owner. 5) From here on out, you will tell everyone your dog was a Saint, and you are a big ignoramus. THIS IS KEY! If a Prosecutor can prove that you KNEW your dog was dangerous BEFORE the incident, you won't be home for a few Christmases. Say things like, "Ol' Killer, may he rest in peace, was a kind, gentle dog, a family pet. He played with the kids, neighbor kids loved him, he volunteered time at a cat rescue..." Lay it on real thick. Even if your dog was not chained or fenced in, it won't matter if you didn't know your dog was dangerous, which of course,you didn't. "I' ve never seen him do anything like this before. I had no way of knowing..." 6) Hide the past. The prosecutor will try to expose a history of violent behavior of your dog. If your dog never bit or barked at anyone, you're in the clear. If he did, then become shameless about the witnesses. Your neighbors hate dogs, those bites were accidents and they know it, they drink too much, your mailman is just disgruntled, those kids are exaggerating...Your attorney will be a big help here. Legally, a dog who "bites" is not necessarily dangerous, and even if he was, you NEVER knew it (remember?). 7) Always keep the finger of blame pointing at your dog and, if necessary, the victim. There is no law forbidding a dog from killing someone, and you legaly did nothing to hurt anyone. Repeat this line out loud until it is second nature to you: "I did NOT kill anyone. The DOG did it, and even THEN, it was only out of instinct. Why did he do it? I don't know. Maybe the child PROVOKED him!" 8) Steps 5, 6, and 7 also apply to the defense of your class action lawsuit. Wait until this is over before buying a new Pit Bull. Good luck.

Your pit bull has more likelihood of killing your neighbour's two-year-old Lab than your two-year-old Human Child; pit bulls are known aggressors against other dogs but are much less likely to attack humans. Please re-read this sentence: Pit bulls are known aggressors against other dogs. For a breed profile, read http://www.rescueeverydog.org/pitbull_breed.html For a greater understanding of the breed from owner and rescue perspective, see http://www.badrap.org/rescue/index.cfm From the above website, this statement: "[a]ny pit bull that demonstrates aggression towards people is revealing a substandard temperament and should be humanely euthanized". And yes, you may need facial reconstructive surgery even after being attacked by a poodle - canid's jaws are designed for tearing flesh. [Edit: OK, to "address the question": 1. Find out if your child is alive or dead. If dead, likely there will be some protracted legal battle. Prior to the legal battle, ascertain if there are any organs that can be harvested in order to save other children's lives. 2. If your child is alive, take him/her to the hospital (if nearby) or call 911. 3. Find out from the owner of the pit if the dog has had its rabies shots. Most of the time, even if they have, you will need to make sure your child receives a series of shots (in some cases, there is a one-time shot) to protect against developing rabies. ]

Kaliganges information can only help, not hurt, the pit bull owner in his legal defense. Be sure to use the statements in his answer in court: Pit Bulls are ONLY aggressive against other dogs. The stereotype that they are dangerous is a myth. Remember, you can beat jail time ONLY if you can PROVE that you did NOT know your dog was dangerous. For help in this area, log on to: http://www.badrap.org/rescue/index.cfm

Also as badly as I feel for the family if they ever bring any legal action against you, I would be asking a couple of important questions- #1. Where were the kid's parents at the time and did they know where their child was at this time? #2. Why was the child not being supervised?

Your neighbors two year old child? if it was their two year baby, this is a major, different story. you definetely will need an attorney. i hope you called the police. your attorney takes your testimony. you could be charged with negligent homocide, since the dog was yours and it was apparently running free. you are liable for your dogs actions. i only hope you talking about your neighbors dog and not his child.

Say quote "that was not my dog. It was a stray

You should get a very good lawyer. And ask yourself this question: What the hell was I thinking when I aquired a pit bull dog!! I will get alot of flack here, but I think that breed should be eradicated. My dad had one and my uncles had several and all they were good for was trying to get at the kids and kill other dogs. They never took them to fights, they were not trained to fight, they were just mean. Now all you pro-pits out there go ahead and say that it is all in how they are raised, go ahead, I know you want to. That is a load of crap. I wouldnt trust a pit bull if he was raised by Capt. Kangaroo. I have been around pits most of my life and sometimes they get all friendly, warm and fuzzy, waggin tails and licking your hand, but you had better not let your guard down. Now, should the child have been better supervised? Probably, but if you own a dog known for this sort of thing, in my opinion YOU are ultimately responsible.

It never ceases to amaze me how we as a society can always run from responsiblity for our actions & a conscious(you know what i mean if i spelled that wrong). How would you feel if this was your 2 year old? I dont blame the dog either because I think ANY breed of dog could kill a child. Where was the dog? On your property or theirs? And where were the damn parents? And where the hell was you when this was going on? Personally I think both of you should go to jail, them for not watching thier child unless they had their child in the yard, fenced in & yours jumped the fence or your dog came in their house & you for not being aware of what your dog was doing where it was at all times. You may legally be able to fight this but KARMA will get you. Do your self as well as any amimal or child a favor, dont get any more animals unless your will to devote 24-7 knowing where they are or what they are doing & if you can't be there with them have someone responsible to watch, feed & take care of them. They are like kids, its not everyone elses place to watch & raise them it is yours.

First of all, was it ever clarified if this was a 2 year old child or another animal? Secondly, if this was a child that was killed, lets stop pointing fingers for a minute and reflect on the fact that a dog killed a child.A pit bull for that matter, a dog that has been known to kill children and adults more often than any other dog. Hopefully the owner goes to jail. I would probably want to strangle you myself if my child was mauled by your dog!

I see this is really old but I am guessing there is a HUGE chance this is all a fake lie meant to attack pit bulls yet again. Notice OP didnt come back. I think they are lying. Just my opinion. Pit bulls are great dogs. My guess after thinking another minute about it is this is probably a child who is trying to get people "riled up". How sad to want attention that badly...

I would not have a Pit Bull in the first place. They are beautiful animals and I know that some are considered gentle, but they are bred to be aggressive. IF I had a dog that killed a child or even another pet...It would be put down immediately.

ur better off in jail murderer if ur not happy with my answer why not msg me my msns ancientryu@hotmail.com i wish u'll end up in jail shareing the same cell with ur dammed dog

This is a fake post, it's obvious! Anyway, pit bulls are amazing animals. They were originally bred to fight bulls in the ring. Then, after that "sport" ended, they were used for dog fighting. SINCE there is a man in the ring with the 2 dogs, they were also bred to have no human aggression!! I have 2 pits, and a 2 year old and I am fostering a litter of kittens as well. My daughter has been left alone in the room with the dogs SEVERAL times, she sits on them, yanks on them, smacks them, crawls on them, NEVER have they EVER hurt her or attempted to do so. Same with the kittens, they crawl on them, they scratch and bite them and they have never ever EVER once showed any aggression to them. If you have encountered a mean pit, it is because it hasn't been socialized, it has been raised by an idiot, someone who wants it just because instead of to show it the love it deserves. Please people, watch "off the leash" Pits were the all American dog, the symbol of freedom, and the ideal family pet just 50 years ago even. In temperament tests, pits score the highest, more people are actually bitten by golden retrievers! But, of course, it will NEVER make the news unless it's a pit or "looks like a pit" or a rotwieler(sp?). Feel free to check out my myspace page to see the pics of the dogs as PROOF www.myspace.com/goddessalicorn

Well you sure as hell shouldn't be on the internet, you should be on the phone to the paramedics!!