Arkansas Teen Mauled to Death While Trying to Feed Starving Dogs in Neglect Case

Makayla Fortner was killed after she tried feeding a pack of dogs neglected by their owners

A 15-year-old Arkansas girl was tragically mauled to death by a pack of starving dogs as she attempted to feed and care for them at a neglected property in Alexander, a rural community roughly 17 miles outside Little Rock.

Makayla Fortner was killed on Wednesday while tending to approximately 30 to 40 malnourished dogs that she and her mother, Stephanie Wilkie, had been trying to rescue. The mother-daughter duo had been attempting to provide food and care to the dogs after witnessing months of severe neglect by the animals' owners.

A neighbor said the first responding officer arrived and discharged his sidearm multiple times to get the dogs away from the fence

Neighbor Ralph Murphy recounted the horrifying scene, describing how a responding Saline County deputy fired warning shots to disperse the dogs upon arrival. “I watched a Saline County deputy come out and go up to the fence, and a bunch of dogs ran up to the fence,” Murphy said. “He pulled out his pistol and shot into the ground twice, and the dogs ran. Then he walked over and looked down and turned around and walked back. Then I moved and saw a body on the ground.”

Residents had long expressed concerns about the dogs and had repeatedly contacted local authorities. Murphy said officials from Saline County claimed they were powerless to intervene due to the lack of an official animal control unit in the county. “I had called Saline County, and they sent a deputy and said that there’s not any animal control in the county and there’s nothing that they can do,” he added.

For months, neighbors had complained about how out of control the problem with the pack of dogs had become — with many reporting to Saline County officials that they would sometimes run loose throughout the area

Neighbor Heidi Clay described the dogs as “vicious,” saying many parents feared letting their children walk alone. “When they moved in, all the neighbors were very upset. They moved in with a huge amount of dogs and a large amount of broken vehicles,” Clay said. “This was a beautiful young girl who lost her life because these people did not properly take care of their dogs and have a hoarding issue.”

In response to the fatal attack, Benton city officials seized 14 dogs from the property. All were euthanized. However, four dogs that were locked inside the home during the mauling were left on the premises.

Neighbor Heidi Clay (not pictured) said that the dogs were so “vicious” that “no one wanted to let their children walk to and from the bus stop.”

The Saline County Sheriff’s Office has launched a full investigation into the incident, with support from Benton Animal Control.

Makayla Fortner, a student at Bryant Public Schools, is remembered as a kind-hearted and selfless young woman. A GoFundMe page created in her memory describes her as “a beautiful, bright girl with the kindest soul.” It reads: “Her smile could light up a room, and her laughter was the kind that made others feel instantly at ease. She is deeply loved by her family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.”