Panicked Mom In Disbelief When Her Mother-In-Law Defends Her Dog After He Attacked 9-Month-Old Baby Unprovoked

MIL said her dog didn't deserve to be reprimanded for what he did and kicked them out of her house

Chelsi

• Published in Animal Stories
• October 15, 2023

A mom was beside herself when her mother-in-law's 22lb dog attacked her 9-month-old daughter. The kicker was OP's MIL taking her dog's side and blaming everyone else, including the baby, for the incident.

OP and her daughter were playing on the living room floor. Her MIL's Shetland Sheepdog was across the room when OP heard a noise.

Before OP could react, the dog was already charging at her daughter. The dog grabbed the baby by the face and was viciously shaking her.

He only let go after OP kicked him. OP picked her baby up and saw blood pouring from her eye while the rest of her face and head were covered in bite marks.

OP ran upstairs to where her husband and MIL were. OP's husband ran downstairs, picked up his mother's dog, and threw him outside as soon as he saw his baby's injuries.

OP's MIL yelled at her son to leave the house for manhandling her dog. They rushed their baby to the hospital.

The dog missed the baby's eye by a centimeter, but her injuries were still severe. MIL told them to leave her house as soon as they got home.

She felt it was unfair to her dog if OP and her family stayed. She said her dog didn't deserve to be punished for what he did.

OP made it clear that the attack was unprovoked. Her baby didn't tug on the dog's fur, she wasn't playing with his toys, nor was she anywhere near his food bowl

OP is unsure if her feelings towards her MIL and her dog are justified

She feels betrayed that her MIL defended her dog after what he did to her granddaughter

She also feels guilty when she thinks that the dog should be put down for mauling her child

MIL said she still wants OP and her daughter in her life, but disowned her son for punishing her dog. OP doesn't know if she has it in her to be around MIL.

MIL can't even acknowledge her dog's dangerous behavior. She shouldn't be trusted around OP's baby again.

She could have committed to behavioral training for her dog, but she completely absolved him from any responsibility

A responsible pet owner would do everything to make sure their dog is safe to be around humans, MIL doesn't belong in that category

She can't even care enough to make sure her family is safe around her dog, I doubt she concerns herself with thoughts of other people

OP added a comment. The dog tried to charge at her daughter again. Her husband had to throw the dog out to protect their daughter.

OP made it clear she had no secret agenda against animals. She had dogs herself. She didn't misrepresent how the events happened despite what other Redditors suspected.

Kicking the dog out of the house was the gentlest thing they could have done given what happened moments before. A Redditor said they wouldn't have been as kind.

OP and her family are out of her MIL's house

MIL shared this post on Facebook two days after her dog attacked her defenseless 9-month-old granddaughter

OP was insulted by MIL's post

The hospital reported the attack to their local Health Department. OP and her husband decided to file a police report and consult a lawyer after they moved out of MIL's house.

MIL's refusal to accept how dangerous could be tells us she won't do anything to correct his behavior

Pet owners love their dog. Loving them means training them well enough to keep other people safe and our pets safe. It doesn't mean ignoring their potentially dangerous nature.

OP can set the record straight with one photo of her baby's injuries

When MIL's dog attacks another human again, what will happen then? I doubt they will be as forgiving as OP.

OP should definitely pre-emptively block MIL on everything to avoid further drama

Dogs are great companions when they are trained correctly. MIL is a piss-poor pet owner as long as she refuses to acknowledge her dog can snap at any moment because she refuses to retrain him.

Her misplaced loyalty to her dog cost her any hope for a relationship with her granddaughter. OP and her husband reacted appropriately and admirably when their child's life was literally on the line, despite what MIL said.

Chelsi