Boy's death could not be prevented, Minister says

Liberal MLA Kelly Lamrock says the province hasn't done enough to prevent family pets from killing children.

Lamrock, the MLA for Fredericton Fort Nashwaak, asked questions in the legislature on Wednesday about James Waddell. He's the four-year-old boy who was killed by three rottweilers in the yard of his Kingston Peninsula home in March of last year.

Social workers had been involved in the boy's life since infancy, and six months ago, a coroner's jury made several recommendations to try to prevent a similar tragedy from happening.

From November 10, 2004: No ban of big dogs: inquest

Lamrock asked Family and Community Services Minister Tony Huntjens how province planned to respond to the jury's suggestions.

Huntjens responded that sometimes no matter how hard social workers try, some people fall through the cracks.

The comment didn't sit well with Lamrock. "Mr. Speaker, this is more than someone falling through the cracks. This is a little four-year-old boy when he was done watching cartoons he went out to the yard and was torn apart by dogs, and it was preventable. It didn't have to happen."

But the minister shot back that there's only so much his department can do. "We know what our responsibilites are. And I think people in general have a responsibility as well."

Some critics have suggested families under child protection should be banned from owning big dogs.

But Huntjens told reporters outside the legislature, a ban wouldn't help. "Any animal, any pet, can be a danger. I've heard of a cat attacking a child. So you know, are we going to outlaw cats too?"

Huntjens says in the Waddell case, the father had assured social workers the dogs wouldn't run loose.