It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: a beloved pet mauling their young child and leaving them with deep scars.
Well, that’s the horrific situation TikTok user Klara Tsetkin found herself in after her cocker spaniel Bart lashed out at her young daughter, Milana.
Though many would put their pet up for adoption or have them euthanised, the mum has divided the internet after she decided to keep her dog.
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Despite everything that has happened, Tsetkin, from the US, insists that her dog ‘never attacked’ the toddler and added he’d been acting in self-defence during the accident three years ago.
At the time, Bart the dog had been recovering from an unknown illness, with the pooch finding a spot to hide in the family home as he recouped.
Milana, who was just three at the time, struggled to understand that Bart was so distressed and attempted to play with him as she usually would.
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"He was very sick! And tried to hide under the bed... His hind legs gave out and he couldn't crawl away,” Tsetkin explained on TikTok, adding: “My three-year-old daughter did not understand that the dog needs to rest today and not touch him.”
Unbeknownst to her mum, the toddler began to climb on Bart and in pain, the dog lashed out as it strained to get away in its weakened state.
In the ensuing chaos, Milana was bitten on the face and was later treated for her injuries, receiving several stitches.
Though the physical wounds have healed, the accident divided the family and resulted in Tsetkin separating from her husband after she kept Bart.
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The internet was also deeply divided as the mum-of-two explained her decision, with many TikTok users commenting angrily on the video platform.
One even argued that the dog could injure another person and pointedly wrote: “So how are you gonna feel after the next attack? This is insanely irresponsible. Give the dog away to a responsible owner. if you can’t put it down.”
Others agreed, with another stating that the mum had put her family at risk - writing: “At the end of the day, it’s really sad that they chose their dog over their own daughter's safety.”
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However, some users have been more sympathetic to the impossible situation and have argued that the incident was a one-off and not characteristic of Bart’s behaviour in general.
In the comments, one TikTok user even suggested that the incident was just another example of how women are expected to be perfect mothers.
They said: “This happened a few years ago and y'all still bring it up and blame on the mom. She do the best she could. Don't put lots of pressure on her.”
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Some even thanked Tsetkin for keeping her dog, despite the accident, and congratulated her on how well her daughter had recovered afterwards.
One user even wrote: “I'm so glad you kept the dog…Your daughter is very beautiful!”
Katherine Sidnell