An 11-year-old girl is recovering from a dog attack that left her with stitches and bite marks across her body, and the dog that did it is still living right next door.
Jakya was playing outside at a friend’s house when the neighbor’s large dog came after her. Surveillance video captured the moment she made it back to the porch, screaming “I don’t want to die.”
“He was in the house and then he slipped through a little crack in the door,” Jakya said. “He came after me. I was scared.”
Her mom heard the screaming from inside.
“The screams changed to fear and that’s when I looked out the window and he had her, dragging her by the back of her pants,” she said.
Jakya’s stepfather, Stephen Jefferson, jumped a fence to pull the dog off of her.
“It was just a horrifying moment just to hear her screaming, crying, bleeding like that,” Jefferson said. “No child should go through that.”
Jakya was taken to the hospital where she received four stitches on her wrist and seven on her backside, along with bite injuries to her chest. She described the pain as burning.
For a child with summer just getting started, the family says this attack has put everything on hold.
“We were planning trips to Disney World, Universal,” Jefferson said. “Those things are becoming in jeopardy because we have to cover extra expenses for a situation that was totally avoidable.”
The family says the dog’s owner previously acknowledged the dog had bitten them before — but never formally reported it. When animal control responded after Jakya’s attack, the dog was not seized. Instead, the owner was given 30 days to provide documentation as part of a dangerous dog investigation.
Jefferson said that timeline is unacceptable.
“Why is the dog still there? That’s what we are fighting right now, to get the dog out of the picture. It’s a public safety thing at this point.”
Animal Control and Protective Services Chief Michael Bricker explained that because the attack happened on the owner’s property and the dog had no prior documented history with the agency, immediate removal was not required under protocol.
“This wasn’t a stray dog that wandered off its property to attack somebody,” Bricker said. “This was a one-time instance that we’re aware of.”
The family has since filed a formal dangerous dog investigation request. A panel of five to six officers not connected to the case will review the evidence and determine whether the dog meets the legal threshold to be declared dangerous. Bricker says factors include bite severity, the number of bites, and whether the attack was provoked.
If the dog is declared dangerous, the owner would be required to muzzle the dog in public, carry a significant insurance policy, and post warning signs at every entrance to the property. If the owner cannot meet those requirements, the dog could be surrendered to ACPS and euthanized.
Bricker acknowledged the fear the family is living with.
“It’s a scary situation. I have kids of my own. If this were to happen to them, I’d be worried just as they are.”
He added that if the family sees the dog outside or feels threatened at any time, they should call ACPS immediately and officers will respond right away.
Jakya, meanwhile, has barely been outside since the attack. Before all of this, she spent her days jumping on the trampoline and drawing with her friend next door.
Her stepfather says he hopes sharing their story makes a difference.
“Somebody please listen. Somebody please take this serious. It could have went the worst way. We could have been planning for the worst. So please pay attention to these animals.”