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.
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".
If my post helped please send $2,000,000 via PayPal!
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?!?!