I thought this story was shocking enough when I read that a pet piranha actually bit off the tip of a toddler's finger recently. I mean we always hear about the dangers of dogs and small children, but I never really stopped to consider the fish tank. Of course, most people don't put piranhas in the fish tank ... but that's another story.
This incident happened last week in Chicago, and an 18-month-old girl was the victim. According to the Chicago Tribune, when the family first saw the bleeding remains of their daughter's finger, they feared it was their dog, a 65-pound pit bull, that was responsible. But after an ambulance whisked her to the hospital, doctors told them it was no dog bite.
The father -- who was still at home -- quickly realized what must have happened after the family called with the news, and then he did something really shocking.
He plunged his hand into that fish tank, grabbed one of the two piranhas, and gutted the thing. A spokesperson for the sheriff's department told the paper:
He had no fear; these were truly fatherly instincts. He grabbed a knife and cut it open and found her fingertip right there.
He took the fingertip to the hospital where they tried to reattach it. It's unclear whether it worked or not, but that's a pretty intense dad demonstration of love regardless.
I would hope I could do the same, but I'm not sure. Of course, I'd never keep piranhas in my house either, which sounds like a pretty bad idea from the get go with small children around. I'm thinking maybe a nice new goldfish should perhaps be their next pet.
Do you think you'd be able to do what this dad did? Do you think it's irresponsible to have piranhas as pets if you have small children?
Image via The_gut/Flickr
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Comments 83
Of course I'd gut the fish!!!! He!!, I gut the fish when we go fishing for all the other fish we actually eat. BTW, some of them have teeth too. Catfish have wickedly sharp pectoral spines that can pierce or slice the skin quite easily leaving nasty gashes and horrible infections if not treated. Are we going to stop taking our kids fishing? And, hey what about the pet lionfish? They are actually poisonous/venomous and can kill a child. Just like most animals, fish can be dangerous. Bottom line is there should have been a locking system on the tank.
Prianha's are scavengers, so why it bit the finger tip of a squirmy 18 month old is beyond me. It is odd that they were kept in reach of an 18th month old-not because of what kind of fish, but because a fish tank full of any fish poses a risk of drowninng and breaking glass. Pittbulls can be excellent family dogs, it comes down to common sense, raise the dog correctly and don't leave your child alone with it-this is the case with ANY breed of dog.
Wow, a pit bull and 2 (now just 1) piranha- if this girl makes it out of her toddler years I will be amazed. And pit bulls get their reputation for a reason. This year alone I have been chased down the road by 2 separate families pit bulls. They might love their family, but they hate my dog and me for walking by their house, so forgive me if I hesitate to put them in the "good dog" category. Not only that, the father initially thought it was the pit bull who bit the girls finger off---he must have fogotten what a kind, gentle, loving dog his pit bull is.
What are the odds that, with two piranhas in the house, he gutted the one that nibbled the child's finger off? Well, I guess the odds are 50/50, but he just as easily could have picked the wrong fish. That's just sad to me. This "parent" doesn't seem very bright.
I would not own these fish
I'd cut my dogs stomach open to get a body part that was on my child at one point, I don't see this as very shocking. I hope they were able to reattach the tip.
I think accidents happen regardless of what type of pet a person has, btw. My cats scratch my kids on occasion, even came close to my youngest's eye when she squeezed one of them too hard. That doesn't make me fail as parent of the year. Animals, all animals, are prone to doing things we don't do as humans.
On the pitbull comments you guys just need to chill out and stop feeding this uneducated nonsense. Any dog can be dangerous because every dog has teeth and animal instincts if you raise a dog correctly there will be no problems. Its not the dogs but the humans who raise them who give them a bad name
The type of pet you keep in your home does not determine what kind of a parent you are...There are parents/families with no pets and deserve the shittiest parent of the decade award; so those comments are very judgemental. On another note: it's amazing what you will do or what fears you may overcome when your child's health or safety is involved.