In a tragic incident, a 15-year-old girl from Arkansas lost her life in a severe dog attack while trying to feed a group of neglected and malnourished dogs. The incident occurred on a property in Alexander, approximately 17 miles from Little Rock. The teenager, Makayla Fortner, and her mother, Stephanie Wilkie, had been attempting to care for the 30 to 40 starving dogs they had noticed living in neglect.
The first responding officer on the scene had to discharge his firearm multiple times to keep the dogs away from the fence, according to eyewitness Ralph Murphy. Murphy described the scene, saying he saw the officer fire into the ground twice to scare the dogs away before discovering the body of the young girl.
The issue with the pack of dogs had been a concern for the community for months, with many residents reporting the dogs running loose in the area to Saline County officials. However, the county officials had repeatedly informed the residents that there was nothing they could do about the situation.
Murphy expressed his frustration, stating that he had contacted Saline County, only to be told that there was no animal control in the county and nothing could be done. Another resident, Heidi Clay, described the dogs as so “vicious” that parents were afraid to let their children walk to and from the bus stop.
Following the fatal attack, officials from Benton City seized 14 dogs from the property and had them euthanized. However, four dogs that were inside the house during the attack were left on the property. The Saline County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of Benton animal control, is investigating the incident.
Fortner, a student at Bryant Public Schools, is remembered as a “beautiful, bright girl with the kindest soul,” according to a GoFundMe page set up in her memory. The page describes her as a girl whose “smile could light up a room, and her laughter was the kind that made others feel instantly at ease.” She is deeply missed by her family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing her.