Lockport Police say DNA results show no human involvement in the sexual assault of a two year old boy July 8th.
Jessica Weinstein: "So this proves that it really can happen?"
Chief Neil Merritt, Lockport Police: "I don't think that there's anydoubt because there's a number of witnesses, because this occurredinside, then the dog ran out onto the porch."
The mother told Lockport Police that she left her two year oldunattended for a short time and after hearing the baby scream, she ranto see what was wrong.
When she got in the room, she told Lockport Police the dog, named"Bear", had sodomized the toddler. The mother screamed, scaring the dogout of the house, but the dog was still attached to the baby.
One neighbor told 2 On Your Side, she heard the mother screaming"The dog is raping my baby." Neighbors ran to help, but only one manwas able to get the dog and child apart.
Anastacio Castillo says "I tried to get the dog away from the baby,the dog was already inside the baby." When the baby was finally free,he was visibly sick. Castillo says the boy was vomiting and bleeding.
The baby was rushed to Women and Children's Hospital where thetoddler underwent reconstructive surgery. Hospital officials are nolonger verifying that he is a patient there.
Lockport Police say they continue to investigate how a pitbullsodomized a toddler. They are looking into calls that the dog may havebeen trained, but they don't know by whom.
"Some experts are saying that it's not possible for a dog to do thatwithout being trained, and then we have experts that say it's verypossible, that it could happen, the dog just being exposed to the scentof a female dog in heat," said Merritt.
The pitbull has been evaluated. According to officials at theNiagara County SPCA, the dog spent 24 hours with an animal behaviorist.Results of the evaluation will be turned over to police.
Since the attack, over 20 people have called the SPCA asking toadopt the pitbull. Chief Merritt says it'll likely be up to a judge todecide what happens to the dog after the investigation is complete.
"I know a court can order a dog destroyed if it's a danger to the public or it's exhibited harmful behavior," he said.
The Niagara County District Attorney's office is assisting Lockport Police with the investigation.
Miranda Workman, behavior specialist at Purrfect Paws in Amherstsays, "Most likely this is not a learned behavior. Dogs in tact, notspayed or neutered have a higher hormonal drive."
She urges parents to never, ever leave their children alone with a dog.
http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=49447
Jessica Weinstein: "So this proves that it really can happen?"
Chief Neil Merritt, Lockport Police: "I don't think that there's anydoubt because there's a number of witnesses, because this occurredinside, then the dog ran out onto the porch."
The mother told Lockport Police that she left her two year oldunattended for a short time and after hearing the baby scream, she ranto see what was wrong.
When she got in the room, she told Lockport Police the dog, named"Bear", had sodomized the toddler. The mother screamed, scaring the dogout of the house, but the dog was still attached to the baby.
One neighbor told 2 On Your Side, she heard the mother screaming"The dog is raping my baby." Neighbors ran to help, but only one manwas able to get the dog and child apart.
Anastacio Castillo says "I tried to get the dog away from the baby,the dog was already inside the baby." When the baby was finally free,he was visibly sick. Castillo says the boy was vomiting and bleeding.
The baby was rushed to Women and Children's Hospital where thetoddler underwent reconstructive surgery. Hospital officials are nolonger verifying that he is a patient there.
Lockport Police say they continue to investigate how a pitbullsodomized a toddler. They are looking into calls that the dog may havebeen trained, but they don't know by whom.
"Some experts are saying that it's not possible for a dog to do thatwithout being trained, and then we have experts that say it's verypossible, that it could happen, the dog just being exposed to the scentof a female dog in heat," said Merritt.
The pitbull has been evaluated. According to officials at theNiagara County SPCA, the dog spent 24 hours with an animal behaviorist.Results of the evaluation will be turned over to police.
Since the attack, over 20 people have called the SPCA asking toadopt the pitbull. Chief Merritt says it'll likely be up to a judge todecide what happens to the dog after the investigation is complete.
"I know a court can order a dog destroyed if it's a danger to the public or it's exhibited harmful behavior," he said.
The Niagara County District Attorney's office is assisting Lockport Police with the investigation.
Miranda Workman, behavior specialist at Purrfect Paws in Amherstsays, "Most likely this is not a learned behavior. Dogs in tact, notspayed or neutered have a higher hormonal drive."
She urges parents to never, ever leave their children alone with a dog.
http://www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=49447
