Trinidad: Mother and son mauled by family dog, backlash erupts after animal euthanised 

Trinidad and Tobago: In a shocking development, a Marabella family endured a terrifying ordeal on the night of Thursday after a dog attack left a mother and her son severely injured inside their residence. Both the victims received immediate medical treatment at the hospital and were discharged shortly after.

According to the information, the incident took place around 9:32 pm on February 26 with the report being made to the Hunters Search and Rescue Team. Captain Vallence Rambharat of the unit received an urgent distress call reporting that the two victims had been severely bitten by their German Shepherd and Doberman mixed breed dog at their Porsche Avenue, Granada, Terrace, Marabella.

While the injured pair managed to retreat into their house, but the dog remained loose outside which prevented them from safely leaving and seek urgent medical attention. The neighbours of the victims eventually intervened and helped both the victims to get out of house, and they both were rushed to the San Fernando General Hospital for treatment.

Following the incident, team members from the Hunters Search and Rescue Team comprising of Desi Simon, Vina Narine Sinanan and Kriston Rambharat responded to the scene. With help from Police Office Charles of the Marabelle Police Station, they were able to secure the aggressive dog and safely place it into a carrier. The task has described this task as extremely challenging because of the dog’s aggressive behaviour.

Despite being contained, the family members later contacted a veterinarian, and the dog was euthanised around 2 am on Friday. Euthanise means to intentionally end the life of an animal in a painless way.

Officials also said that during this operation, rescuer Desi Simon sustained minor superficial bites to his palm. Meanwhile, the Hunters Search and Rescue Team commended Police Officer Charles for his courage during the tense situation and expressed gratitude to all responders and neighbours who assisted.

The incident has caused major backlash across the island nation with locals taking to Facebook to express their disbelief over the fact that the dog was killed. One of them noted that, “Dogs don’t just attack their owners, something is not being said here.” Another user said, “As a dog owner for many years, dogs do not maul their owners because they feel like biting someone today. Dogs are one of the most loyal domesticated animals in the world. They always protect their human family; that's their main job. For this dog to maul his owners, the dog had to be provoked or mistreated. If you cannot treat a pet like it is a part of your family, simply don't get one. I am sorry that they endured what they did. Lesson learnt.”