No parent reading the awful news out of Shelby County, Tennessee on Wednesday could help but cringe.
Inside their own house, a five-month-old infant boy and his two-year-old sister were attacked and killed by dogs.
Both Hollace Dean Bennard and Lilly Jane Bennard died at the scene. Kristie Jane Bennard, 30, the children’s mother, was seriously hurt in an apparent 10-minute assault.
As stated in a family member’s social media update on Thursday, she was hospitalized in ‘severe situation’ and is currently in treatment with a countless number of stitches and bites marks over her entire body including her face.
Worst of all, the animals were unquestionably adored members of the family.
They were pit bulls and the Bennards’ pets.
I recognize that what follows may generate significant — dare I say, horrified — reactions, but it must be said: How many terrible stories must we watch before we realize the risks of this kind of dog?
The contemporary pit bull, like other breeds, has distinct qualities that have been bred for over time. Sheepdogs were developed specifically to herd sheep. Golden retrievers were developed specifically to retrieve. Pit bulls, on the other hand, were bred to bite.
Losing a kid, let alone two, is an unfathomable loss.
My heartfelt regret and sorrow for the Bennards is genuine. I hope they can recover physically and mentally from this catastrophe, but some scars never heal.
Their loss is incomprehensible, and they are, by all accounts, devoted and caring parents who had no intention of putting their kids in jeopardy. However, the loss of their children should serve as a wake-up call for other parents.
The Bennards found out the hard way. No other family should have to go through the same ordeal.
