A father of a 5-year-old girl is seeking answers after his daughter was mauled by a 50 lb dog on February 7.
Amanda Ruth Chalfant, the girl’s mother, was in the playground area of Hortt Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida when a woman with a leashed brown dog approached her and her two children.
The woman mentioned that the dog was nice and calm. She also said that she had recently rescued the dog. Without warning, the dog suddenly jumped on her daughter and mauled her directly on her face.
Surveillance cameras captured the horrific incident. Dad Florian Becker said the dog owner tried to stop the dog by pulling on its collar, but the collar broke.
Becker said that the owner was also in a state of shock during the incident and tried with his wife to wrestle the dog to the ground and release his daughter. He reported that the owner fled and hid from the scene after the incident.
The five-year-old was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital. She incurred 20 staples and 40 to 50 stitches to her head, face and shoulders. The child was left understandably upset and traumatized.
“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.”
Vice Mayor Warren Sturman of Fort Lauderdale provided updates that the woman and her dog have been identified but the woman’s name has not been released and it is uncertain if charges will be brought against her. Her mixed breed, a six-year-old dog, was impounded by Broward County’s Animal Care Division.