A 15-year-old Arkansas girl, Makayla Fortner, tragically died after as many as 40 dogs mauled her to death at a residence in the city of Alexander. Reportedly, Makayla had attempted to feed the pack of dogs who were allegedly neglected by their neighbors.
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According to KATV, the incident occurred at a White Oak Drive residence on Wednesday, June 11. Saline County Sheriff’s Office responded to a dog attack 911 call.
Upon arrival, the deputies encountered 30 to 40 at the residence. One of the neighbors, Ralph Murphy, told the outlet that one of the deputies jumped the fence. Moments later, some of the dogs rushed him.
“He pulled out his pistol and shot into the ground twice, and the dogs ran,” Murphy said. “Then he walked over and looked down and turned around and walked back.”
Murphy would then move and see a body on the ground. It was Makayla’s, and the dogs had mauled her to death.
Reportedly, seeing the allegedly neglected dogs, she had attempted to feed them. Makayla Fortner and her mother, Stephanie Wilkie, had been trying to rescue the dogs and attempted to care for them, as per the New York Post.
Past Complaints
Neighbors in the area had complained multiple times about the pack of dogs. Some of them often jumped the fence and roamed freely in the neighborhood. However, as per Murphy, county officials were unable to offer a solution.
“I had called Saline County,” Murphy said. “They sent a deputy and said that there’s not any animal control in the county.” As a result, county officials said there was “nothing that they can do.”
Regarding the dogs’ owners, Murphy said that they had moved in with a “huge amount of dogs and a large amount of broken vehicles,” upsetting all the neighbors.
A friend of the family set up a GoFundMe on their behalf to raise funds for Makayla’s funeral expenses and grief counseling.
“Her smile could light up a room, and her laughter was the kind that made others feel instantly at ease,” the GoFundMe reads. “She is deeply loved by her family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.”