Child mauled at Pittsburgh Zoo

[Nath]

I can't see how anyone can argue with this. If the dog was attacking the child, they had to act and stop that immediately. I can see why people would be upset, and as an animal love it's not pleasant to hear of - but it was to save a child's life.

As for the mother, dumb.

[kate]

I feel like I have to repeat this every single time someone mentions any school shooting.

Want to know how many U.S. soldiers died in the middle east today? Or how many committed suicide in their own homes? No, didn't think so, just because it's not plastered across peoples' tv screens.

In this case, YES it is sad the child got attacked, but NO it should not dictate the fate of the entire prospects of the zoo just because of one outlying case.

what about the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilian deaths that can be directly attributed to the presence of US military in foreign countries?

I have empathy for suffering, but less so when you choose war and are then exposed to it.

[Celestial]

I can't blame the police about it at all, you hardly have a moment to think in these circumstances.
If you see a dog attacking a person, the first thing you do is stop the dog by whatever means possible.

I doubt the police even knew the dog was endangered or anything about this dog - other than it was killing a child - until well after the event was over.

That being said, even if it could all be thought about for 5 minutes with time frozen, all factors considered, what do you do?
* Let the dog keep the kid?
* Wait till a tranq sinks in and mop up the bits?
* Shoot the dog?
* Have police officers mauled too trying to pull the dog off the body?

I just don't see any way to really blame the police on something that had to be done in a moments decision.
It's easy to judge when you weren't there, from the safety of your own home or office, after the fact.

However, what I do believe is the protective fencing needs a safety review. In such dangerous scenarios it needs to be more "idiot/accident proof".

[Daviid]

The mother is just stupid putting her child there.
I feel sorry for her and I wish the child had only suffered a few injuries, so the mother would have learned the lesson in a less harsh way.

On the dogs part, I think the police acted correctly, not like when a domestic dog attacks a trespasser and you have to kill the dog, seriously WTF?!?!