Whether it was a pit bull puppy or another animal that gnawed off a baby's toes is insignificant to proving the alleged negligence of the child's parents, a Bossier City police spokesman said Tuesday.
Mary Shannon Hansche, 22, and Christopher Wayne Hansche, 26, told Bossier City police they awoke Sunday morning to find their month-old daughter crying and her toes gnawed off.
Police believe the couple's six-week-old pit bull puppy did it -- although veterinarians have questioned whether a dog that small was capable. A ferret was also in the house but the couple said that animal was in a cage, police said.
The Hansches this afternoon were jailed under $50,000 bond each on misdemeanor charges of child desertion. They were scheduled to make their initial court appearances via closed-circuit Tuesday.
The child underwent surgery at Sutton Children's Hospital in Shreveport. Doctors could not reattach her toes, police said.
Officials at animal control said Tuesday they have received about 15 calls and half a dozen e-mails from people wanting to adopt the dog. Police Department spokesman Mark Natale said officials will meet after the 10-day quarantine period and decide whether the dog should be offered for adoption, euthanized or returned to its owners.
Police Department spokesman Mark Natale said police have concluded their investigation. He said they believe the puppy attacked the child, although the actions of the parents -- not the animal -- are the central part of the case.
Police said the Hansches have told several different stories about what happened. Natale said the couple is charged with child desertion for allegedly putting their baby in a dangerous situation.
Police said the couple told investigators they slept as the six-week-old puppy chewed off four of their month-old daughter's toes and did not wake up in time. The couple was asleep on a mattress on the living room floor and the baby was nearby in an child seat. They said they woke to the sound of their baby crying and took her to the hospital.
Police also seized a ferret in the house. The couple told investigators the ferret was in a cage, and police said they don't believe it attacked the child.
Natale said the negligence charges apply because the child was under the age of 10 and was exposed to a danger from which she could not protect herself.
Teresa Miller, who sold the puppy to the Hansches, was skeptical the dog did it.
"He didn't chew on anything while he was with me. Out of all of them (in the litter), he was the least chewy."
Local veterinarian Dr. Valri Brown said if the puppy chewed off the infant's toes, it would not have happened quickly.
"It would have to be a period of time -- maybe at least an hour," she said.
The child will be placed in a foster home when she is released from the hospital ↓
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| Name: Stacy | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 7:21 PM |
This is so sad.
What's up with the parents? They need to be prosecuted!!! ↑ |
| Name: mspeachpit | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 7:26 PM |
| my parents had a dog when i was a baby and it tried to chew my toes off. needless to say, they got rid of the dog! ↑ |
| Name: Stacy | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 7:45 PM |
Peach,
Your parents either hear you cry or saw the dog, & did something about it, smart responsible parents.
These parents, where either to drunk, stoned or stupid to respond to their baby crying. That's what pisses me off. ↑ |
| Name: stay at home dad | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 7:47 PM |
| yeah how could you not hear or miss something like that and not do something about it to stop the dog..thats just not right ↑ |
| Name: mspeachpit | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 7:48 PM |
| yeah, i know. luckily, it was seen because i was on the kitchen floor and my mom happened to look at me. see, i cant feel my feet because of my disability so i didnt know what was going on. but i did fall out a window as a toddler right between two rose bushes because my mom had told my dad to watch me and he didnt. i climbed onto the back of a lazy boy (sp) chair that was under the window then sat on the window sill and out popped the screen and me! boy was my mom mad! or so she tells me. ↑ |
| Name: jillw | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 8:05 PM |
| how do you not hear your baby cry for over an hour? People like that do not need kids. I know that accidents happen to kids even when you try to be the best parent you can. My son drank bleach when he was 3yrs old. It was 2am and I put a small amount of bleach in a cup and I was getting stains out of his shirts with a q-tip. One shirt had a stain on it at the collar, but there was also a black stripe that ran through the collar so I got up and I was washing out the bleach in the bathroom sink so that the black wowuld be effected by the bleach. during those 30 seconds my son woke up got out of his bed and drank the cup. Thank God I had only put about and ounce or two in there. I had to call 911. I felt like such a bad mom. So I understand that freak things happen, but this situation is a different story. it didn't happen in 1 second it too an hour. ↑ |
| Name: mommylj | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 8:43 PM |
| Those morons need to be put in a locked room with a couple of hungry pit bulls. If they survive that they both need to be "fixed" so they can't have any more children . ↑ |
| Name: Lizzi | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 8:48 PM |
| Well,the baby should be given to someone much more responsible and the dog should be put to sleep. ↑ |
| Name: babey_g_311 | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 9:26 PM |
| there had to have been something wrong with the parents.....if the child was nearby how could they not hear the baby crying for an hour, plus why did they have their baby on the floor with the puppy anyways.....i guess when i have my baby especially at a month old I will always be closely watching the animals around her, not just taking a nap and leaving the puppy at full access to her....crazy, they should go to prison and lose their child. ↑ |
| Name: M | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 9:35 PM |
| First of all, I think the parents were negligent for putting a one month old baby in a car seat to sleep through the night knowing that a dog was roaming freely in the house. I think the puppy was probably chewing like they do when they are getting teeth. I think the parents should be charged. The puppy and baby should be found new homes. ↑ |
| Name: M | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 9:38 PM |
| I heard this story on the news. Animal specialists said the dog was too young to display aggressive behaviors. They said it was teething and chewing like it would chew a toy. ↑ |
| Name: momof3 | Date: Dec 13th, 2006 9:41 PM |
| It is not the puppy's fault. The parents need to have their head checked out. My little one slept in a car seat until she was around 7 months old, due ti her stomach problems, and I slept on the couch right next to her, but I kenneled our dog up. Even though I don't think he would do anything, I was sleeping so I wouldn't see if something started. People who have animals and kids need to be responsible. ↑ |
| Name: Julia | Date: Dec 14th, 2006 6:31 AM |
| This is heartbreaking! How can you not hear the horrible crying? Yes, they need to be prosecuted, that is neglect! And why was the baby sleeping in a car seat? That story is very disturbing. ↑ |
| Name: marija | Date: Dec 14th, 2006 7:36 AM |
| goddd!! i wish i hadnt read that...nightmares on the menu tonight.....sigh ↑ |
| Name: Stacy | Date: Dec 15th, 2006 9:10 PM |
| Name: Stacy | Date: Jan 6th, 2007 11:28 PM |
| It turned out the FERRET was the one who chewed off the babys toes!!! ↑ |
| Name: marija | Date: Jan 6th, 2007 11:33 PM |
| awwwww stacy!...i thought it was another post and re-read it all again....kicking myself now.... ↑ |
| Name: tweetybird4 | Date: Jan 6th, 2007 11:54 PM |
| This is totally sick. What the heck is wrong with the parents? Darn right they should be charged. That's so disgusting. That poor innocent baby. ↑ |
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