Girl, 15, mauled to death by pack of rescue dogs while attempting to feed them
A teenage girl was tragically killed while attempting to feed about 30 to 40 neglected rescue dogs.
The dogs were being held at an enclosed on a property in Alexander, Arkansas when the Saline County Sheriff's Office deputies were called to the scene of the horrific attack at around 12:15pm on Wednesday. Upon arrival officers found 15 year old Makayla Fortner lifeless.
Ralph Murphy, a neighbour, witnessed the first officer on the scene firing his pistol several times to drive the dogs back from the fence. "I watched a Saline County deputy come out and go up to the fence, and a bunch of dogs ran up to the fence," Murphy remarked.
"He pulled out his pistol and shot into the ground twice, and the dogs ran. Then he walked over and looked down and turned around and walked back. Then I moved and saw a body on the ground," he shared.
Benton Animal Services spokesperson Matt Thibault conveyed that the dogs in question included pit bulls, their crossbreeds, and hounds. Following the tragedy, officials told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that 14 of the dogs were put down, whilst four other dogs which were inside the house at the time of the incident were spared.
Local residents had voiced their increasing apprehension due to the issue with the roaming pack of dogs, regularly lodging complaints to officials in Saline County about the dogs being let loose in the neighbourhood, reports the Mirror US.
Despite their grievances, county officials have consistently told exasperated locals that their hands are tied when it comes to tackling the issue. One resident labelled the dogs as so "vicious" that "no one felt safe allowing their children to walk to and from the bus stop.
"When they moved in, all the neighbours were very upset. They moved in with a huge amount of dogs and a large amount of broken vehicles," Heidi Clay remarked. She continued: "This was a beautiful young girl who lost her life because these people did not properly take care of their dogs and have a hoarding issue."
In the days leading up to the tragic incident, Wilkie posted on Facebook about her and her daughter's efforts to look after over 40 puppies at an elderly couple's home. On June 8 she shared: "As usual, I found myself in a hoarding situation involving an older couple in their 80s who had too many dogs," highlighting that there were "puppies everywhere, more than 40, with a new litter born today."
A friend of the victim's mum, Stephanie Wilkie, set up a GoFundMe page to aid the family and contribute towards funeral costs. "On behalf of my dear friend Stephanie Wilkie, I am heartbroken to share the devastating news that her beloved 15-year-old daughter, Makayla Fortner, tragically passed away following a horrific dog attack," organiser Erin Bowman wrote on the page.
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