The Ember Southard dog attack was completely preventable, says the mother of the victim. Ember Southard, a six-month-old girl, passed away on Friday morning, March 14, in Alabaster, Alabama from a dog attack, as reported by local news outlet WJTV. The mother of the child, Anna Southard, says Ember was attacked by an 11-year-old American pitbull owned by a family member while she was gone for only 20 minutes.
Mother calls the Ember Southard dog attack an “avoidable accident”
Anna Southard says the Ember Southard dog attack was an “avoidable accident,” as the family member who owned the pitbull didn’t follow safe sleep rules.
In an email response, the mother writes that she “will never forgive this family member for falling asleep with [her] daughter on their chest.” After Ember slipped through the family member’s arms, she was mauled by the pitbull, despite the dog having “been around countless children” and having “never harmed one before.” As a result, her “daughter is gone forever because they couldn’t follow a simple [expletive] rule.”
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Anna Southern initially wanted to press charges against the family member, but later decided not to pursue it. She believes that “the punishment of knowing what their neglect did to my daughter will haunt them for the rest of their lives, as it should.”
The mother has asked the community to follow safe sleep protocols and to keep all dogs away from a baby, as “any dog can kill an infant.” The pitbull, along with the owner’s other dog, was taken into a 10-day quarantine by animal control.
It is advised that responsible pet owners never leave children and dogs together unattended, and to never let babies crawl into a room where the caretaker can’t see them. Children should also be taught not to hit, shout, or hug dogs, since they can become startled and aggressive at a moment’s notice.
The mother’s aunt has organized a GoFundMe to help cover the child’s funeral costs. As of March 20, it has raised over $10,000.
The post Why the Ember Southard Dog Attack Was ‘Avoidable’ According to Victim’s Mother appeared first on DogTime.
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