Felicity Penten was left with pieces missing from her ear, while her face was covered with scratches after Queensland Labrador puppies killed her at the family home in California. Mom Michele, 30, who lives with her husband Michael and their other three children, Samantha, 13, Daisy, 11, and Daryl, one, had adopted the dogs just three weeks earlier in May 2022 from a friend. And during this time the family said the animals – named Amarah, Negan, Gideon and Keerah – showed no signs of being aggressive. It is believed that the animals – which have since been sent to a shelter for relocation – may suffer from birth syndrome, which can cause behavioral problems when siblings grow up together. With Felicity now on the road to recovery, mom Michele has spoken to prevent other parents from going through the same ordeal. It was June 3, as they prepared for their youngest child’s birthday, Michele went out shopping while her husband stayed home with the children. Shortly afterwards, she received a phone call that every parent feared – her daughter had quarreled with the animals. The tragic incident occurred in just 10 minutes. Arriving at the hospital, Michele was horrified to discover Felicity unconscious with deep stretch marks, bloody scratches all over her face and pieces removed from her ear. “They had eaten her ear and mutilated her face, neck and upper body,” she told Jam Press. Felicity is pictured before and after the incident, when four Queensland Labrador puppies adopted by her mother scolded the baby while her parents were missing. The Labrador puppies are named Amarah, Negan, Gideon and Keerah – pets that the couple has dreamed of having for years. The puppies were taken to an animal shelter after local authorities decided they did not need to put them down and had to separate them instead, as the puppies were suffering from birth syndrome. The child underwent plastic surgery in an attempt to save her ear, but most could not be recovered. Felicity stabilized and the swelling on her face began to decrease, where scans revealed that she had not suffered any permanent damage to her internal organs or neck. “All I could smell was a puppy all over her head, which made me want to cry and I felt sick in my stomach. “She was missing her hair and was covered with bandages and gauze. “There were stitches in many places, including her lips, neck and neck. “I cried, my heart was broken and I felt like I was going to faint – the feeling that there was nothing I could do to help my baby was overwhelming. “I blamed myself and the guilt of not seeing the signs was overwhelming. “At the time, I had no other information, but I concluded that the only thing in the backyard that could have caused this kind of damage was the puppies.” In an effort to raise awareness and prevent the tragedy from happening to other families, parents are sharing their story on social media, where it has since gone viral. They have also started a GoFundMe to raise money for Felicity’s growing hospital bills, which currently stand at $ 2,800 from a $ 25,000 target. Due to the serious injuries of the child, she was transported to a special pediatric hospital with a trauma center in Fresno, California, where she underwent plastic surgery in an attempt to save her ear. Michele said: “After three hours of plastic surgery, they failed to save much of her ear – except for her earlobe and inner ear. “She struggled to open her eyes and cry for us, and she signed that she wanted her ‘dad’ and that she had to be sick – probably because of morphine. “Our doctors informed us that she had muscle damage in her face, arms and legs, where she will need many surgeries in the near future. “I wanted to keep her, but we could not, as we were told that her neck injuries were very serious. “Before the incident, she was full of joy, smiles and mischief, but at first we were worried that she would have a different future ahead of her.” Due to the serious injuries of the child, he was transported to a specialized children’s hospital with a trauma center in Fresno, California. The nightmare continued as doctors told the parents that their daughter’s kidneys were failing and her body was beginning to close from the trauma, as they suggested she undergo dialysis. In the following days, Felicity stabilized and the swelling on her face began to decrease, where scans revealed that she had not suffered any permanent damage to her internal organs or neck. He has since recovered and was released from the hospital after seven days – but still attends appointments to have plastic surgery once a week. After turning seven, Felicity will undergo further plastic surgery on her face and part of her rib will be removed to make a new ear. The four puppies of the family were taken to an animal shelter, after the local authorities decided that they did not need to put them down and instead, they should be separated due to the birth syndrome. Michele said: “Littermate syndrome rarely occurs in siblings of dogs who have grown up in the same household beyond the normal age of 10 weeks. As a result, a whole host of behavioral problems can occur while trying to exhibit “packet behaviors”. “They can immediately become violent towards each other, so after the attack in Felicity they ended up attacking each other. He has since recovered and has been out of the hospital after seven days – but still attends appointments to have plastic surgery once a week Her mother says she is recovering well. After turning seven, Felicity will undergo further plastic surgery on her face and remove part of her rib to make a new ear. “The puppies also managed to get into our coop, where they killed nine of my 15 chickens. “While we loved our little puppies, we have now sent them to a shelter to be rebuilt and because of their young age, it is believed that they are unlikely to attack again if separated. “The police and the animal control had a hard time believing that the puppies could do this and they believed with certainty that they were cats or coyotes. “If they can not be adopted or continue to show signs of aggression after training, unfortunately they will have to be demolished.” Michele, who is an experienced dog owner, also has an American Pitbull terrier, Jimmy, whom the family loves dearly. He agreed to adopt the four crossbred puppies from a friend who was leaving the area and could not take them with him. Michele added: “The three weeks we had the puppies showed no signs that they could become aggressive. “I would never leave Felicity alone with them [if I knew this] but we accept full responsibility and accountability for this tragedy – but we are incredibly grateful to all who have expressed their love and prayers for support. “Now she is doing well and will be in treatment to help her learn how to cope. [with the trauma]. “Our Felicity is a strong, resilient angel who will overcome everything she has endured and we hope that the trauma will be forgotten over the hours as she heals.” As she shares her daughter’s trip on Instagram, parents have flooded in with comments about their reactions to the tragedy. “Oh my heart aches for what happened, but so happy for her recovery,” one user commented. [sic] Another added: “I can only imagine how scared he was! “I’m very sorry that this happened.” “My girl, I do not think I will allow my children to play in the front yard anymore,” said another person. GoFundMe can be found here. Michele had gone shopping while her husband stayed home with the children
WHAT IS LITTERMATE SYNDROME?
Littermate Syndrome is a non-scientific term used to describe a number of behaviors that can occur if puppies of the same breed grow up together. While there is a rarity of scientific literature in the field, professional dog breeders, such as guide dog charities, generally avoid breeding dogs from the same litter together because of the risk of developing interdependence. Many dogs that grow up in the same breed become shy and find it difficult to separate from their siblings later in life. Others exhibit a range of behaviors, some of which may include aggressive play – and in rare cases fighting. Between gay siblings, quarrels can become fierce and even dangerous as they mature. Although many trainers have expressed concern about the phenomenon, many dog owners say they have raised puppies of the same breed together and have never encountered any problems. The trainers recommend to introduce a second puppy in the house after the first one is properly trained, to set a good example for the new arrival. At a minimum, two puppies should be housed in a cage and cared for separately, including separate walks, training sessions, and play time with their owners.
