The father of a five-year-old girl is looking for justice after his daughter was mauled on February 7 by a 50-pound rescue dog.
While in Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s Hortt Park playground area, the girl’s mother, Amanda Ruth Chalfant, and her two children were playing, when a woman with a leashed brown dog approached them.
The lady described the dog as a nice, calm dog. She continued by saying that the pouch had just been rescued. Without warning, the dog charged at the girl and clawed her in the face.
Surveillance cameras captured the horrific tragedy. Florian Becker, the child’s father, claims that while the owner pulled on the dog’s collar to try to stop the attack, it broke.
Although in shock, the dog’s owner, according to Becker, tried to wrestle the dog to the ground in order to rescue the girl. He said that the owner then fled the scene and went into hiding after the incident.
The five-year-old was immediately transported in an ambulance to a nearby hospital. She received 20 staples and 40 to 50 stitches for her head, face, and shoulders. It was clear that the incident traumatized the child and could leave her scarred for life.
“She’s a sweet little girl — she’s very strong and very thoughtful, but this is absolutely terrifying,” said the father. “This was near fatal. If my wife had not been there, this dog would’ve killed my daughter.”
According to Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor Warren Sturman, the woman and her dog have been identified. The woman’s identity has not been made public, and it is not yet known if criminal charges will be brought against her. The Broward County Animal Care Division seized her six-year-old mixed-breed dog.
