Woman Forced To Give Up Pets Because Of Violent 9 Year Old Grandson

[matcom]

<snip>

LARGO - Today is the day Barbara Morris dreaded would come.

Against Morris' wishes, her 9-year-old violent grandson is supposed to return home from a psychiatric center after her efforts to find him a group home failed.

And now the 61-year-old widowed housekeeper faces the homecoming without her companions, two chihuahuas who gave her joy with their licks and jumps and romps through the back yard.

On Monday, Morris sobbed as she reluctantly gave the dogs - plus five birds and one turtle - to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, to keep her grandson from injuring them.

Christopher Morris, who is mentally retarded and mentally ill, has killed several family pets, in addition to hurting his grandmother, counselors and other children during frequent Jekyll-and-Hyde mood swings.

After a St. Petersburg Times story ran about Christopher, SPCA humane officer Jill Purl persuaded Morris to sign over her rights to the dogs. Otherwise the agency would have sought custody of the animals through the court system.

"I'd cut my arm off to keep them from being abused," Morris told Purl, before the pets were taken from her tidy Largo home.

"You're doing the right thing," Purl assured Morris, who cried and hugged the puppies for the last time. "We will find them good homes, okay?"

As the SPCA seeks homes for the animals, Morris wonders why the state can't find one for Christopher.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/10/Tampabay/Alone__she_fears_boy_.shtml

[Hugin]

1. This is a very sad story...

and a tragic illustration of how sick our society really is.

Eventually, we'll hear something about how the 9 yo attacks someone in the neighborhood
or the grandmother herself.

Why aren't we doing something about this? It's because we're giving Halliburton $9Billion a
month while simultaneously in a war of choice.

That's all I have to say about this.

[JoDog]

2. This makes me sick at heart

What's it going to take for this woman to get some real help for this boy? Is a human going to have to die? Are we going to get to wait until after he has grown up into a killer and the only answer left is a lifetime in prison?

I hope that she is able to find an arrangement for her grandson so he has an outside chance of growing into a functional person. She has already sacrificed so much for him.

[philosophie_en_rose]

3. The grandmother clearly can't handle the grandson.

She can't keep him from murdering animals. She can't treat whatever illness he has. That kid needs to be in a therapeutic foster home. It's just not fair to the grandmother or the grandson to force them to live in an unsupervised environment.

Then again, we're talking about Florida social services, which has misplaced kids. :eyes:

I'm sorry that the grandmother has lost her companions. I'm sorry she and her grandson have to live without treatment. I'm sorry that the puppies are losing their home.

[distantearlywarning]

4. This kid will eventually graduate from killing animals

And start killing humans. I bet you a million bucks.

What will we do then? "Give away" all of the elderly, disabled, young, and otherwise helpless individuals in his neighborhood? Is there an SPCA for humans? Perhaps it might be better to do something for the kid now, before that happens, but well, apparently we don't believe in that kind of thing as a society - help for the mentally ill is just one of those bleeding-heart liberal ideas, right?

And I bet when the kid starts doing stuff to people, everyone around him (except the grandmother) will express "shock" and "surprise" at the kid's actions. :eyes:

[realisticphish]

5. In my opinion

this kid is clearly past the line where he needs to be institutionalized in some way. Not juvy, or anything like that, but either a psych ward or a specialized foster home. If he's killing animals, and is able to injure his adult guardian, it's just not safe for him to be in a regular home.

[havocmom]

6. ABSOLUTELY!

If the adult guardian can't control him and no group home will take him, he is a threat and needs to be placed in an appropriate institution.

If he abuses/kills animals, and you remove any animals from his path, who gets it next? Grandma will continue to get older and frailer. The 'kid' will get bigger & stronger.

My ol granny used to say 'you pay for what you need, whether you BUY it or not'. She was spot on and it applies to mental health care too. One way or another, society WILL PAY for neglecting those who need help and meaningful supervision.

[sasquatch]

8. Dude this is Florida were talking about though

That whole damned state needs to be instituionalized.

[realisticphish]

14. Hey now

CONTROL your hate, control it... save the worst for TSUN :evilgrin:

[sasquatch]

18. My inner Woody Hayes is beyond Lloyd Cooper though

My General William Tecumsah Sherman side has yet to have it's thirst quenched yet.
:evilgrin:

[realisticphish]

20. hey

I went to school in the town where Philip Sheridan grew up, and live about 20 minutes from Lancaster, where Sherman grew up. And my high school's name was the Sheridan Generals. I gots me plenty of Civil War background :D

[ornotna]

17. That's a pretty harsh statement there buddy

Still pissed about the national championship eh.

[sasquatch]

19. Just making an observation about you disproportionate amount of crazy people

About the NC's, eh a little.

[Kerrytravelers]

7. So, why is this kid being sent to live with a grandmother?

If he is this violent, I wouldn't want him as my neighbor. What a lovely statement this makes about our society. The right loves to scream "What about the children..." but what about this child?

[crim son]

9. I feel sorry for the woman but, she wonders why a home can't be

found for Christopher in the same way a home will be found for her dogs? I also feel sorry for the kid. The whole situation is awful.

[barb162]

10. She should give up her guardianship of this child as she can't handle him

and get her animals back. The State will then be forced to find some place for this child. I wonder why she is taking this child back who has already injured her?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. Absolutely!

And she'd undoubtedly feel a degree of resentment toward the boy, even if she didn't act on it. This is a losing scenario for the woman, the child, and the pets. :-(

[barb162]

13. Yes, you're right!

She needs to be protected from this child and he needs to be in a professional, therapeutic setting. Not with a grannie who can't even physically defend herself and a grannie who has no clue how to handle or treat him.

[querelle]

11. Terribly Sad

Is the state forcing her to take her grandchild? Can't she just say no? It's not even her own child, so how come she has to take him? If I were her, I'd just say "Nope. Don't want him. Find him another home." Doesn't she have that option? Seems to me that at the age of 61, she's done raising kids and should be left alone with her beloved pets.

Q

[Little Wing]

15. Euthanesia is an answer

[Deja Q]

16. The only comment I have to suggest is somewhat politically incorrect.

:(

The whole situation is beyond tragic.

[barb162]

21. SO what, say it anyway