Heather Harris, a 34-year-old nurse from Ann Arbor, Michigan, recounts the horrifying moment her family dog Remington, a Weimaraner, attacked her 11-month-old daughter Savannah on October 15, 2024. The dog tore a chunk of flesh from the baby's right cheek and dropped it on the floor, leaving blood spattered across the kitchen.
Background of the Dog's Aggression
The Harris family brought Remington home in 2021 at eight weeks old. Heather said her husband had always wanted this breed, but soon noticed aggressive traits. The dog became 'obsessed' with her husband and 'hated' her, especially after baby Savannah was born in 2023. Remington had previously attacked their other dog and was put on a mood stabilizer for eight months.
The Attack and Emergency Surgery
On the day of the attack, Heather was in the kitchen with Savannah using her walker. She heard a snarl and then a scream. 'He literally took a chunk of her cheek out, there was blood everywhere. The chunk was on the floor,' Heather said. Paramedics rushed Savannah to C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery to fit a bioengineered synthetic skin replacement to help regrow cells on her face.
Ongoing Medical Treatment and Scarring
Savannah has since undergone another surgery to remove scar tissue and is scheduled for a final operation next month. Heather noted that the dog's bite missed the facial nerve by just centimetres. 'I think if he had gotten her in the right spot, he probably could've [killed her],' she said. The toddler will be left with a permanent facial scar.
Warning to Other Parents
Heather believes the attack was intentional, saying, 'I feel like this was targeted at me. Ever since Savannah was born, I feel like he was even more clingy with my husband. [Savannah] was the one thing he could get back at me for.' Remington has since been euthanized. Heather urges other parents to remove aggressive pets from homes with children: 'If you have any kids in the home and your dog is showing any kind of aggression then I think they need to be removed from the home completely. It's just not worth it.'
