01-12-2011, 08:52 AM
oh God. not wildlife, a pet. but some pets are wild nomatter what.
GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. -- A 4-month-old boy had seven of his fingers gnawed off by a pet ferret in Grain Valley.
Police and firefighters responded to a home in the 200 block of Young Street Monday morning after an animal bite call. Grain Valley police Chief Aaron Ambrose said it was much worse.
"Upon further investigating, they learned that the infant's fingers had been taken off by the family's pet ferret," Ambrose said.
The police report said the boy was in a rocker when his parents fell asleep, one parent in the bedroom, the other in the same room the bites occurred. The ferret bit off all but the boy's two thumbs and one pinky, the report said.
"I was just devastated for the baby. I was devastated for the ferret. I was just, I'm shocked, quite honestly. Because that is not normal ferret behavior," said Sharon Cannon, director of the Kansas City Ferret Hotline, a rescue and adoption group for the animal.
Cannon said it's wrong to assume the animal just snapped. She said it needs motivation to do something and it often times responds in the manner in which it's being treated.
"The ferret became an animal, because they were forced into that situation, absolutely. HEY NUTJOB, THE FERRET IS AN ANIMAL! The ferret didn't go crazy," Cannon said.
The child's father killed the ferret after the attack. It's now being tested for any diseases it may have. An investigation is also underway by Grain Valley police, who said they will consult with the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office to see if any charges will be filed as a result of the incident.
GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. -- A 4-month-old boy had seven of his fingers gnawed off by a pet ferret in Grain Valley.
Police and firefighters responded to a home in the 200 block of Young Street Monday morning after an animal bite call. Grain Valley police Chief Aaron Ambrose said it was much worse.
"Upon further investigating, they learned that the infant's fingers had been taken off by the family's pet ferret," Ambrose said.
The police report said the boy was in a rocker when his parents fell asleep, one parent in the bedroom, the other in the same room the bites occurred. The ferret bit off all but the boy's two thumbs and one pinky, the report said.
"I was just devastated for the baby. I was devastated for the ferret. I was just, I'm shocked, quite honestly. Because that is not normal ferret behavior," said Sharon Cannon, director of the Kansas City Ferret Hotline, a rescue and adoption group for the animal.
Cannon said it's wrong to assume the animal just snapped. She said it needs motivation to do something and it often times responds in the manner in which it's being treated.
"The ferret became an animal, because they were forced into that situation, absolutely. HEY NUTJOB, THE FERRET IS AN ANIMAL! The ferret didn't go crazy," Cannon said.
The child's father killed the ferret after the attack. It's now being tested for any diseases it may have. An investigation is also underway by Grain Valley police, who said they will consult with the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office to see if any charges will be filed as a result of the incident.