Life 2-year-old mauled to death by wild dogs after falling into Pittsburgh Zoo exhibit - Page 12

Deberg_1990 · 11-05-2012, 09:18 AM

Wow...horrible. RIP

A 2-year-old boy was mauled to death today after falling into the African painted dog exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.

Pittsburgh police Major Crimes Lt. Kevin Kraus said the boy's 34-year-old mother placed the child in a standing position on a wooden railing overlooking the enclosure.

"Almost immediately after that he lost his balance, fell down off the railing into the actual pit and he was immediately attacked by 11 dogs," Lt. Kraus said.

The incident occurred at 11:48 a.m. at the Highland Park complex, according to an emergency dispatch supervisor. The zoo was shut down within a half-hour of the incident and will remain closed indefinitely.

Zoo President and Chief Executive Officer Barbara Baker said at a news conference shortly after the incident that the child fell over the wooden railing and off of a mesh barrier where the painted dogs were on display. A zoo spokeswoman and police said the wooden railing is 4 feet in height and the lower mesh barrier is 11 feet 4 inches above the open exhibit space.

Lt. Kraus said zoo personnel responded within minutes. The first personnel on scene were able to lure seven of the dogs away from the victim and into a secure and separated area. A second set of personnel began "throwing objects and some other techniques that they use" to secure three more dogs.

He said the final dog, which was acting very aggressively toward the victim and zoo personnel, was shot multiple times by two Pittsburgh police officers and died.

Lt. Kraus said none of the people who observed the child fall into the enclosure made an attempt to go after him. The news release from zoo officials noted that keepers attempted to enter the yard but were unable to reach the child.

One ineffective technique used by zoo personnel to lure the animals away from the child was to fire "dummy tranquilizer rounds," Lt. Kraus said.

Information released from the zoo indicated that "unfortunately, the dogs were in pack mentality and not responding."

The child was pronounced dead at the scene 12 p.m.

The incident is under investigation by police and the zoo. Lt. Kraus said it would be inappropriate to speculate on potential charges at this time and the bureau will continue to investigate to determine if anything could have been prevented.

Police said the boy and his mother are from Pleasant Hills and were visiting the zoo with relatives, an adult and another child, at the time of the incident.

Ms. Cinti described a horrifying scene that lasted a little more than 5 minutes but seemed like hours.

"We were on our way to the polar bear exhibit when we heard the most horrible piercing screams. ... Someone was begging for help, asking someone to do something," she said. The couple ran back in the direction they came from, passing the bear exhibits. The screams continued.

As they reached the painted dog exhibit, she saw a small crowd of distressed onlookers. "One woman with a baby in the stroller was screaming that someone needed to do something," Ms. Cinti said. She said she could see the little boy's apparently lifeless body lying on the hill inside the exhibit. "There were three dogs: one at his head, one on the left side of his neck and another one down by his leg. ... A [zoo employee] got there and hopped over a fence with a rake and he was banging ... trying to distract the dogs but they wouldn't move," she said.

Ms. Cinti, a student at Community College of Allegheny County, tracked the time frame with her cell phone, saying she made a call at 11:49 a.m. when she and her boyfriend first headed toward the commotion. She said her cell phone shows that the call was ended five minutes and five seconds later, when a half-dozen zoo employees arrived and dispersed the crowd.

Bart DePasquale, who was at the zoo today with his two children for a birthday party, was near the tiger exhibit when he heard screams coming from the direction of the African painted dogs exhibit.

"People were yelling 'Get away,' and 'Stay away,' and it wasn't just one person, it was an entire group of people," said Mr. DePasquale, 29, of Fox Chapel. "The screams sounded heavily distressed and the people were using profanity. They were shouting to zoo employees."

Mr. DePasquale and Ms. Cinti said they were told to go inside the nearest buildings where they were kept there for about a half hour.

"We were locked down in the building and told to stay inside. ... We thought it was a problem with one of the animals that got loose. Then we were told it was an incident with the wild dogs and that a child had been hurt."

When patrons were told the zoo was closed and they needed to leave, Mr. DePasquale said, "On the way out, I saw a mother who was distressed and crying and other people who couldn't even talk about it. ... People and anyone who had been close were almost in tears, were walking out glassy-eyed. That's when multiple people told me the dogs attacked a young child."

Ms. Baker said the zoo initially declared a "code blue," meaning an accident involving a human had occurred. That was followed with a "code red," meaning that there was a serious human emergency.

Ms. Baker said no decision has been made about the future of the exhibit.

The African painted dog exhibit debuted after the October 2009 birth of the pups. A surrogate mutt was drafted into service for the nine pups after their natural mother died of a ruptured uterus. In the spring of this year, nine of the 11 painted dogs escaped a section of their enclosure causing a brief shutdown of the zoo.

Ms. Baker said at that time on May 5 that the dogs got into a 1.5-acre "backup yard" not visible to the public, but the dogs were not out of their exhibit.

African painted dogs are an endangered species.

In September, the zoo announced that it had again been accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums after a review of its animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education and safety.

AZA is a nonprofit organization with a team of professionals that inspect and review each zoo or aquarium seeking accreditation. Currently 224 facilities have been recognized and approved by the organization, including eight in Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh zoo has been recognized by AZA since 1986.The accreditation commission evaluates every zoo and aquarium to determine if they meet accepted standards for safety policies and procedures, security, physical facilities, animal management and care, health and nutrition, veterinary programs, involvement in conservation and research and education programs.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...#ixzz2BMUJWMyp

WilliamTheIrish · 11-05-2012, 02:23 PM

That kid was a goner the minute he hit the ground. I'll bet the poor little kid was shredded in about 20 seconds. 11 of those dogs? Good luck with the "Hey, let's go save this kid from 11 African wild dogs! Oh wait... there goes his bowel... Woa! kind of bloody... Are you guys ready? .... Never mind. He's already being defecated out by two of them.

I commend you fools who would go in. I would also commend you for not needing 6 people to be your pall bearers as they carried your (happy meal) sized coffin to your plot.

vailpass · 11-05-2012, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy

What would give you that idea?

I see your point. There's no way I could know that.

Sorter · 11-05-2012, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WilliamInnerCircle

That kid was a goner the minute he hit the ground. I'll bet the poor little kid was shredded in about 20 seconds. 11 of those dogs? Good luck with the "Hey, let's go save this kid from 11 African wild dogs! Oh wait... there goes his bowel... Woa! kind of bloody... Are you guys ready? .... Never mind. He's already being defecated out by two of them.

I commend you fools who would go in. I would also commend you for not needing 6 people to be your pall bearers as they carried your (happy meal) sized coffin to your plot.

**Iowanian** · 11-05-2012, 02:32 PM

Painted Dogs are the loving family Pitbulls of Africa.

Sorter · 11-05-2012, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowanian

Painted Dogs are the loving family Pitbulls of Africa.

Really, it is just the owners fault those Painted Dogs are so aggressive.

**Saulbadguy** · 11-05-2012, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowanian

Painted Dogs are the loving family Pitbulls of Africa.

they just get a bad rap.

Rasputin · 11-05-2012, 02:39 PM

And yet Matt Cassel lives.

**Bearcat** · 11-05-2012, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WilliamInnerCircle

That kid was a goner the minute he hit the ground. I'll bet the poor little kid was shredded in about 20 seconds. 11 of those dogs? Good luck with the "Hey, let's go save this kid from 11 African wild dogs! Oh wait... there goes his bowel... Woa! kind of bloody... Are you guys ready? .... Never mind. He's already being defecated out by two of them.

I commend you fools who would go in. I would also commend you for not needing 6 people to be your pall bearers as they carried your (happy meal) sized coffin to your plot.

Well, there were "only" 3 at first, and I doubt they were all hanging out directly below the kid... of course you could find yourself in a completely different situation 5 seconds after you land, but if I only saw a couple in that instant, I probably wouldn't spend a second trying to figure out how many were around.

tooge · 11-05-2012, 02:43 PM

chuck norris would get his ass kicked by 11 of those "dogs". Regardless of whether or not anyone would try to save their kid, the fact is, the child died by neglect of it's parent and she will now suffer the rest of her worthless life.

**Old Dog** · 11-05-2012, 02:45 PM

Her husband probably said, "Remember to feed the dogs" and she misunderstood.

Sorter · 11-05-2012, 02:46 PM

Husband should sue teh wife.

KCUnited · 11-05-2012, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Dog

Her husband probably said, "Remember to feed the dogs" and she misunderstood.

I bet ol roy is filing for divorce.

WilliamTheIrish · 11-05-2012, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Well, there were "only" 3 at first, and I doubt they were all hanging out directly below the kid... of course you could find yourself in a completely different situation 5 seconds after you land, but if I only saw a couple in that instant, I probably wouldn't spend a second trying to figure out how many were around.

I understand. It's Fight Or Flight" and if a parent didn't go in, they'd probably kill themselves from the guilt.

But those dogs are probably from 40-80lbs. The second that of them makes a squeal, the rest of the pack is there to shred the carcass. They feed that way because bigger, nastier animals will snatch their kill. Although they don't have many natural enemies.

**Iowanian** · 11-05-2012, 03:04 PM

It's too bad there weren't some parents there exercising their right to carry concealed weapons.

Sorter · 11-05-2012, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowanian

It's too bad there weren't some parents there exercising their right to carry concealed weapons.

Why? The kid was dead. Probably before the dogs got to him.

11-05-2012, 09:18 AM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $164454	2-year-old mauled to death by wild dogs after falling into Pittsburgh Zoo exhibit Wow...horrible. RIP A 2-year-old boy was mauled to death today after falling into the African painted dog exhibit at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. Pittsburgh police Major Crimes Lt. Kevin Kraus said the boy's 34-year-old mother placed the child in a standing position on a wooden railing overlooking the enclosure. "Almost immediately after that he lost his balance, fell down off the railing into the actual pit and he was immediately attacked by 11 dogs," Lt. Kraus said. The incident occurred at 11:48 a.m. at the Highland Park complex, according to an emergency dispatch supervisor. The zoo was shut down within a half-hour of the incident and will remain closed indefinitely. Zoo President and Chief Executive Officer Barbara Baker said at a news conference shortly after the incident that the child fell over the wooden railing and off of a mesh barrier where the painted dogs were on display. A zoo spokeswoman and police said the wooden railing is 4 feet in height and the lower mesh barrier is 11 feet 4 inches above the open exhibit space. Lt. Kraus said zoo personnel responded within minutes. The first personnel on scene were able to lure seven of the dogs away from the victim and into a secure and separated area. A second set of personnel began "throwing objects and some other techniques that they use" to secure three more dogs. He said the final dog, which was acting very aggressively toward the victim and zoo personnel, was shot multiple times by two Pittsburgh police officers and died. Lt. Kraus said none of the people who observed the child fall into the enclosure made an attempt to go after him. The news release from zoo officials noted that keepers attempted to enter the yard but were unable to reach the child. One ineffective technique used by zoo personnel to lure the animals away from the child was to fire "dummy tranquilizer rounds," Lt. Kraus said. Information released from the zoo indicated that "unfortunately, the dogs were in pack mentality and not responding." The child was pronounced dead at the scene 12 p.m. The incident is under investigation by police and the zoo. Lt. Kraus said it would be inappropriate to speculate on potential charges at this time and the bureau will continue to investigate to determine if anything could have been prevented. Police said the boy and his mother are from Pleasant Hills and were visiting the zoo with relatives, an adult and another child, at the time of the incident. Ms. Cinti described a horrifying scene that lasted a little more than 5 minutes but seemed like hours. "We were on our way to the polar bear exhibit when we heard the most horrible piercing screams. ... Someone was begging for help, asking someone to do something," she said. The couple ran back in the direction they came from, passing the bear exhibits. The screams continued. As they reached the painted dog exhibit, she saw a small crowd of distressed onlookers. "One woman with a baby in the stroller was screaming that someone needed to do something," Ms. Cinti said. She said she could see the little boy's apparently lifeless body lying on the hill inside the exhibit. "There were three dogs: one at his head, one on the left side of his neck and another one down by his leg. ... A [zoo employee] got there and hopped over a fence with a rake and he was banging ... trying to distract the dogs but they wouldn't move," she said. Ms. Cinti, a student at Community College of Allegheny County, tracked the time frame with her cell phone, saying she made a call at 11:49 a.m. when she and her boyfriend first headed toward the commotion. She said her cell phone shows that the call was ended five minutes and five seconds later, when a half-dozen zoo employees arrived and dispersed the crowd. Bart DePasquale, who was at the zoo today with his two children for a birthday party, was near the tiger exhibit when he heard screams coming from the direction of the African painted dogs exhibit. "People were yelling 'Get away,' and 'Stay away,' and it wasn't just one person, it was an entire group of people," said Mr. DePasquale, 29, of Fox Chapel. "The screams sounded heavily distressed and the people were using profanity. They were shouting to zoo employees." Mr. DePasquale and Ms. Cinti said they were told to go inside the nearest buildings where they were kept there for about a half hour. "We were locked down in the building and told to stay inside. ... We thought it was a problem with one of the animals that got loose. Then we were told it was an incident with the wild dogs and that a child had been hurt." When patrons were told the zoo was closed and they needed to leave, Mr. DePasquale said, "On the way out, I saw a mother who was distressed and crying and other people who couldn't even talk about it. ... People and anyone who had been close were almost in tears, were walking out glassy-eyed. That's when multiple people told me the dogs attacked a young child." Ms. Baker said the zoo initially declared a "code blue," meaning an accident involving a human had occurred. That was followed with a "code red," meaning that there was a serious human emergency. Ms. Baker said no decision has been made about the future of the exhibit. The African painted dog exhibit debuted after the October 2009 birth of the pups. A surrogate mutt was drafted into service for the nine pups after their natural mother died of a ruptured uterus. In the spring of this year, nine of the 11 painted dogs escaped a section of their enclosure causing a brief shutdown of the zoo. Ms. Baker said at that time on May 5 that the dogs got into a 1.5-acre "backup yard" not visible to the public, but the dogs were not out of their exhibit. African painted dogs are an endangered species. In September, the zoo announced that it had again been accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums after a review of its animal care, veterinary programs, conservation, education and safety. AZA is a nonprofit organization with a team of professionals that inspect and review each zoo or aquarium seeking accreditation. Currently 224 facilities have been recognized and approved by the organization, including eight in Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh zoo has been recognized by AZA since 1986.The accreditation commission evaluates every zoo and aquarium to determine if they meet accepted standards for safety policies and procedures, security, physical facilities, animal management and care, health and nutrition, veterinary programs, involvement in conservation and research and education programs. Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...#ixzz2BMUJWMyp
Posts: 68,611

11-05-2012, 02:23 PM	#166
WilliamTheIrish Champion Golfer Of The Year Join Date: Aug 2001 Casino cash: $2600607	That kid was a goner the minute he hit the ground. I'll bet the poor little kid was shredded in about 20 seconds. 11 of those dogs? Good luck with the "Hey, let's go save this kid from 11 African wild dogs! Oh wait... there goes his bowel... Woa! kind of bloody... Are you guys ready? .... Never mind. He's already being defecated out by two of them. I commend you fools who would go in. I would also commend you for not needing 6 people to be your pall bearers as they carried your (happy meal) sized coffin to your plot.
Posts: 35,754

11-05-2012, 02:32 PM	#169
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $1708454	Painted Dogs are the loving family Pitbulls of Africa.
Posts: 62,940

11-05-2012, 02:39 PM	#172
Rasputin Tip of the hat LIV Champs Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: ks Casino cash: $95421	And yet Matt Cassel lives. __________________ "Those who don't believe in magic will never find it"
Posts: 56,920

11-05-2012, 02:43 PM	#174
tooge MVP Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Liberty, MO Casino cash: $684112	chuck norris would get his ass kicked by 11 of those "dogs". Regardless of whether or not anyone would try to save their kid, the fact is, the child died by neglect of it's parent and she will now suffer the rest of her worthless life.
Posts: 17,160

11-05-2012, 02:45 PM	#175
Old Dog Supporter Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: North Central Kansas Casino cash: $2490201	Her husband probably said, "Remember to feed the dogs" and she misunderstood.
Posts: 10,769

11-05-2012, 03:04 PM	#179
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $1708454	It's too bad there weren't some parents there exercising their right to carry concealed weapons.
Posts: 62,940