Okay, granted this is a very sad thing that has happened to a child, but don't make it sound as though pitbulls are the only breed to attack a child or anyone for that matter. If you train a dog to be mean, than that is what it will be. You really have to look at the immature people having children. Why put an animal to death for something it would have done in the wild? It is an instinct for any living thing to protect its own. When a person in self-defense kills or beats up someone or something, that is what they cry out "self-defense", "I was just protecting myself/husband/wife/child." We get to defend our actions, but animals don't get to defend themselves. No the boy should not have been locked in the basement, but if he got out than obviously it wasn't locked. We don't know the whole story, usually when I hear of a dog attack; My first thought is "well what did they do to provoke it." If you see a dog that is growling at you, go away from it. If you don't know the dog, don't touch it. but if you decide to ignore the signs well then you deserve any repercutions. Maybe the mother couldn't put the dogs in the basement, she probably thought she was keeping her child safe, but I'am sure that this 12-year old knew, as well as, the mother that you shouldn't go near the dogs while the female is in heat or something like that. He was 12yrs. old he should have listened, sad I know, but true.[/list]
