- Infant Mauled by Rottweiler in Tragic Incident
- Accidental Death Ruled in Inquest
- Concerns Raised Over Licensing and Council’s Approach to Unlicensed Breeders
An inquest heard that an infant was mauled by a Rottweiler owned by his dog-breeder grandmother after opening a gate into a field containing the animals.
In March of last year, two-year-old Lawson Bond was murdered in his residence in Egdon, near Worcester.
His grandmother, Maria Bond, discovered him face down in a field without a license to breed or sell canines.
David Reid, the chief coroner for Worcestershire, ruled that Lawson’s death was accidental.
Mrs. Bond told the inquest at Worcestershire Coroners’ Court that she was cleaning out the kennels of three female canines before releasing them into the adjacent field she rented for exercise and play.
She went inside the cottage to use the loo and viewed a video with her son Reiss on his phone. But when she returned outside, she observed that a wooden gate, which was normally secured by a chain, was open and Lawson was missing.
She “shouted his name” as she approached to “get him back in.” she thought he had gone into the field.
She stated, “He was lying on his stomach, and I could not see any of the canines. “In a state of panic, I grabbed him, lifted him, and screamed.”
The family drove Lawson to Worcestershire Royal Hospital but had to perform CPR before paramedics arrived to take over.
He was transported to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where he suffered a cardiac arrest and died two days later.
Extremely secure
A cranium, chest, neck, and left internal carotid artery cut were found at his autopsy.
When West Mercia Police officers arrived at the cottage, the three dogs, one of which had blood around its muzzle, were still in the field.
About a week later, they were removed from the property and euthanized.
Inquest heard that the field and kennels’ fencing was “well constructed” and “very secure” and the animals were well-behaved.
Mr. Reid stated that Ms. Bond’s lack of a dog breeding license did not in any way contribute to Lawson’s mortality. However, he criticized Wychavon District Council and Worcestershire Regulatory Services for not being more proactive in their search for dog breeders without licenses.
The council stated that it relied on intelligence and complaints from the public.
Mr. Reid stated that he would be submitting a report to the council titled “Prevention of Future Deaths” due to his concerns that the council was not being proactive enough in locating “unscrupulous” breeders.
Mr. Bond told the court that his son loved mornings and had never had an issue with the dogs.
“Everything I did, he wanted to do as well,” he declared.
“He was fearless and eager to do whatever I was doing, whether it was cleaning the kennels or vacuuming.”
