We all would rather find him a home than put him down, but it will be hard finding someone to take a dog who bit a child in the face.

Now if we can't find him a home, the best solution is absolutely not to put him back in the home with children. I believe that is the solution for someone who is blinded. No offense, but it really seems like one.

Your solution always runs to risk of one thing going wrong, because nothing always goes perfect, we should all know this, and that risk involves a 2 year old girl and a 9 1/2 month old girl's safety. What makes matters worse, this risk also involved my parents having the potential to lose their jobs and their home due to the $1000 fine and 90 day jail time.

Is my solution mean to the dog? Could be, but come on man, your family is much more important than a dog that has the potential to take your entire life away from you.

Your last sentence doesn't really make much sense, because it is very easy to keep games away from a small child. Not so easy to keep non-stop seperation between 2 children and a dog.

What do we do, lock the dog up in a pen in the backyard when he has been an inside dog his whole life? He barks and neighbors will complain and then we will be told to keep him inside. Neighbors complained about my other dog who passed away 2 years ago.

Then what do we do, lock him in a room or a cage when the children want to play? So almost all day he sits in a room?

What do we do, if he ever gets out scream for everyone to grab their kids because the dog is approaching?

Or maybe we should do seperate play times? From 10am-3pm the dog gets the run of the house and from 3pm-8pm the girls come out to play.

What kind of quality of life is that for a dog?

ALso realize that outside is not the best solution either. We live in a small community with many many children who walk by the house. Children who he always barks and growls at.

If we don't do something, trust me, we will eventually be ordered to.

Edit -

Apologies for the smart ass "play time schedule" remark. This whole discussion is making me a bit edgy.

I think the discussion here is great. Lots of understanding and sympathy is shown towards the dog. Gives a smile on my face.

I just want to clarify that I understand Euphoria's (and his chick's) stance too, very well.

I also want to add that I don't think the niece showed bad parenting from what is described here (EDIT: I meant the niece's parents). Risks in life are everywhere, not everything bad can be avoided. It's not reasonable to take perfect precautions against everything.

I feel very sympathtic towards my dog. When I came home last night and saw him outside the back door, jumping around because he was so excited to see me, I cried because I knew that he may need to be put down. I love this dog immensely and I would absolutely love to find him a new home without children so he can live until his last days, digging up and playing with rocks like he has his whole life.

Unfortunately though, if that can not be accomplished, as much as I love him, I could never have him live here, just because of what he did yesterday, and if it has to come to it, I will need to make a very difficult decision, no matter how unjust some people think it is.

I love my daughter and neice more.

Need to take a break from this discussion for a while, I don't want to come off as being as an asshole, my apologies to Kasz.

I need to watch some "House" and have a few drinks.

Its everyones fault but the dogs.

Kids and rotts dont mix, rots are known to attack kids and people in general.

Kids hitting rots with a stick is like hitting a gun man with a stick

Bad Parenting at its finest.

It's no biggie, I understand it's an emotionally charged issue for you. Besides I'm in arguement with someone whos being MUCH less civilized with you... and he's just trying to argue that Kratos would beat Link in a fight with Link having the Triforce, an object that stops time, and a cape that makes Link invisible, intangible and yet still able to attack other people.

The emotion is also why I disagree with you.  Your emotion is evoking the standard "think of the children" defense that is something that's incogruent with your usual stances of parental responsibility.

You simply asked what was most justified.  And that is it.  Think about it this way, if your neighbors dog bites a child who messes with it... should their dog be put down because said child invaded the dogs personal space?  Of course not.  Otherwise it would be illegal for people to own dogs period.

Your parents are making the right decision if you can't find another owner.  They agreed to take on the responsibility of a dog for better or worse.  That doesn't go away because the dog is a bother now.  Now if it was YOUR house or Your sistsers house it would be your parents responsibility to move.  As it is, it's your responsibility to either protect your children, arrange a situation in which your children are protected or move.

It's not a case of being naive of blind.  I fully know and accept the risks presented.  It's still the most justified answer.  For example, if there is an actual child rapist in your neighberhood, you aren't justified in killing that child rapist to protect your child.  It's smart considering the risk involved, and the child rapist is actually lower then a dog if you ask most people... not justified though.

You even admit the dog is completly innocent.  You aren't offering justification for why you want the dog killed.  You are offering rationalizations. 

If it was my child, I would likely feel the same way.  I would probably call animal control on my parents.  I would however be taking an unjustified and immoral action that conflicts with my beliefs and would recognize it as such.  That is sole real basis of our disagreement.

We are currently in the process of looking for people to take the dog, but of course we are having a tough time because he is 10 years old.

My parents decided that if they do not find a home, they will need to put him down.


I recommended Animal Rescue instead, but to be honest I am not entirely sure on what they do with a dog in his situation.

Anyone know much about how Animal Rescue operated in these kinds of situations?

I'm going to try and google it. I really want to find him a new home.

The way to go would be to take him to a no kill shelter and clearly explain that all he did was air snap and your niece walked into it. Doing it as such and considering his age, it's likely they'd take him.

Old dogs are like kids over 4 at an orphanage. Except... they kill them.

There is a such thing as a No Kill Shelter?

Off hand...

http://www.animalhavenshelter.org/

looks good.

http://www.nokillnetwork.org/d/New-York

Is a general list i would exhaust to see if they will take him.