Upsetting News Article

Don't know if this was posted yet - but I had to share it. I am so over this. That poor baby boy.



Family's pet ferret eats fingers of baby boy

Grain Valley - "Hopefully people will take a general look at this and see what's the lesson." That is safety advice for pet owners with children from Police Chief Aaron Ambrose, of Grain Valley, MO, after a family's pet ferret ate seven of their infant son's fingers.
A mother and exotic pet owner was awakened in the early morning hours of January, 10 by screams from her four-month old son. She rushed to his bedside only to discover the tragic damage that her pet ferret had inflicted upon the boy.
"(The ferret) jumped into the (bassinet) that the baby was sleeping in and ate seven of its fingers." Ambrose told CNN. The infant child, who was spared only two thumbs and one partial pinkie finger according to Ambrose.
The incident within the household concluded shortly after the boy's father was awakened by more screams, now from the boy's mother who had made the discovery. The father found and killed the ferret by hurling it across the room. "It hit a dishwasher or cabinet or something like that," said Ambrose.
Authorities are not releasing the names of the baby or his parents, but authorities are investigating the parents for neglect and failure to obtain a $100 exotic pet license. A history of complaints have been responded to by animal control concerning the barking and treatment of the family's dogs, which include a Rottweiller. According to Ambrose, those claims were as recent as the summer of 2010 and also resulted in issues for failure to obtain a dog license costing approximately $10.
The child was in critical condition following the attack, and was last reported to be in the care of Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Rd. in Kansas City, MO.
Shriners International, a philanthropy known for working with child burn victims, has ties with a Grain Valley law enforcement colleague who phoned Ambrose to inform him of a procedure in which toes can be surgically removed and attached to the victim's hands in place of fingers.
During Ambrose's report he described the procedure, "They can take the child's toes, like two per foot, and attach them to the hands and elongate them where they become like fingers. It's all free and it's through the Shriners."
Ambrose was unaware of the family's knowledge or decision of the Shriners' interest in their son's case, but he did weigh in a positive outlook for the boy's circumstances, "It's nice to know there are options out there. He can (live) somewhat of a normal life as far as using his hands."

Message edited 1/20/2011 11:34:43 AM.

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

I'd like to know what kind of drugs these ashholes were on to not have heard their baby screaming until the ferret was eating his SEVENTH finger.

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

this is one of the reasons we haven't gotten a pet yet, besides a fish.

between this story and the one on the pets board about the pitt that mauled and killed the little girl....so scary


all animals, any animal, can go schizo.

i'm too afraid to take any risk right now.....even though I'd love a pet.

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

Posted by OrganicMama

Posted by mlny

I'd like to know what kind of drugs these ashholes were on to not have heard their baby screaming until the ferret was eating his SEVENTH finger.

That's EXACTLY what I was thinking. I don't even have words.

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

I dk something makes nooooo sense.
A infant has some high pitched scream, they heard on the seventh finger?
were the parents wasted?
why was the ferret not in a cage? those things get anywhere n r like nutty kids when they want to be.
You do not leave your kid alone with any damn animal, bird, ferret, dog..
a fish..thats it..only a farging fish!
***! I never heard of something like this.

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

It really is just so sad. This poor baby has to live his life with no fingers now because of his parents negligence.

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

This is disgusting. I agree, they didn't hear him screaming until the 7th finger? Something isn't right. On another note, I DESPISE ferrets. They are disgusting, giant rodents. Why anyone would want one as a pet is beyond me. There was a story on one of those plastic surgery shows where a ferret got into a baby's crib and ate the little girls' face. Those animals are disgusting.

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

Posted by beachgirl13

This is disgusting. I agree, they didn't hear him screaming until the 7th finger? Something isn't right. On another note, I DESPISE ferrets. They are disgusting, giant rodents. Why anyone would want one as a pet is beyond me. There was a story on one of those plastic surgery shows where a ferret got into a baby's crib and ate the little girls' face. Those animals are disgusting.

Message edited 1/20/2011 12:07:15 AM.

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

How terrible

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

Just like many of use said on the pitbull thread.....whether you have a chihauhua, pittbull, ferret--you should not leave your kids unattended with an animal. How those parents didn't hear that poor child screaming on the first finger is beyond me....

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I am so disturbed and sad by this story. I just looked at DD and cried. That poor poor baby

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

Posted by beachgirl13

This is disgusting. I agree, they didn't hear him screaming until the 7th finger? Something isn't right. On another note, I DESPISE ferrets. They are disgusting, giant rodents. Why anyone would want one as a pet is beyond me. There was a story on one of those plastic surgery shows where a ferret got into a baby's crib and ate the little girls' face. Those animals are disgusting.

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

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*** is wrong with this world? Where were this baby's parents?

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

OMG.. This story just me me so sick and mad.. My stomach is actually turning from it. *** is wrong with these people!! 4 months old!!

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

What a tragedy and so very avoidable That poor baby!!!

I will however say that I owned 2 ferrets when I was younger and they were the gentlest, friendliest animals ..Something does not sit right with me and this story ( sounds to me as if both the baby and ferret were neglected for the ferret to act this way)
No animal should be left alone with a child-period.

Such a shame

Message edited 1/20/2011 8:17:43 AM.

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

This is NOT the first story to hit the news where a ferret has done this..

A little while back there was a similar story where the pet ferret ate the babies toes...the baby was sleeping in its car seat on the floor of the bedroom while the parents were passed out after drinking...

I don't remember how many toes were eaten, but this story had sickened me...and it happened again, ugh. I don't get it. SOME PEOPLE SHOULD JUST NOT BE PARENTS!!!!!!

Re: Pet Ferret Eats Babies Fingers

Posted by MamaLeen

Posted by OrganicMama

Posted by mlny

I'd like to know what kind of drugs these ashholes were on to not have heard their baby screaming until the ferret was eating his SEVENTH finger.

That's EXACTLY what I was thinking. I don't even have words.

Me too. This story makes me nauseous.

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This story makes me so sad for the little baby

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This is the most horrible story I've heard... please do not use these kind of titles for posts on parenting ... it should come with warning!

I wanted so much to report this post because it made me so ill and I have been shaking and crying all day, and growing up in NYC and everything I've seen in my life, I'm not easy shaken.

Please, consider it for the future, or please change the title I can't bear to see it, I'm going to log out of LIF for the day hoping it will go away tomorrow.