Front Steps Ordeal Ends with Helicopter Rescue
A quiet afternoon turned into a nightmare for nine-year-old Delyla McCay when she became the victim of a vicious dog attack in Cullman County, Alabama. The incident occurred on November 7 while Delyla was sitting on the front steps of her apartment building with her 13-year-old sister.
According to the girl's mother, Katie McCay, another child was walking a Blue Heeler on a leash nearby when they lost control of the animal. The dog suddenly lunged at Delyla and clamped onto her face, shaking her violently and causing her lip to detach.
"Mommy, it grabbed my face, and it was just shaking," Delyla told her mother afterwards, recounting the traumatic experience.
Teenage Hero Intervenes
As the attack unfolded and Delyla's older sister screamed in horror, a nearby teenager rushed to help. The heroic teen began punching the dog repeatedly until it released its grip on the young girl's face. During the rescue attempt, the teenager also suffered bite injuries.
Following the brutal attack, Delyla required immediate medical attention and was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.
Katie McCay expressed her anguish about the incident, stating: "I've never dealt with nothing like that in my life and I just wouldn't wish it on anybody." She felt compelled to defend her daughter's innocence, adding: "Anybody that knows my child, 'cause there's a lot of people that ask, 'What was she doing to the dog? Was it provoked?' My kid was just sitting there. She's so sweet."
Recovery and Community Support
Delyla sustained severe injuries to her face and back requiring dozens of stitches. Her medical team confirmed she will need plastic surgery and rabies shots to make a full recovery. Despite the trauma, the young girl showed remarkable resilience and was released from hospital on Monday night. Her mother reported she was "doing well and remaining positive, even laughing at times during her early recovery."
Meanwhile, Cullman County Animal Control confirmed that the dog involved in the attack had been put down.
The emotional toll on the family has been significant. "For a few days it was crying, and now I'm pretty angry," Katie McCay admitted, though she acknowledged the difficult position of the dog's owners: "It's hard for everybody. It's hard all around because I know that they probably feel terrible."
Facing mounting medical expenses including co-pays, specialist surgeon fees, and the cost of the emergency helicopter transport - all while missing work - Katie started an online fundraiser with a target of $2,000. The community response overwhelmed the family when donations reached nearly $10,000 by Monday afternoon.
"Words can't explain how thankful I am. I don't have the financial stress I had before on top of everything else," Katie wrote on the fundraising page.
This incident follows a similar pattern to another recent dog attack in Florida, where an eight-year-old girl was hospitalised after a pit bull slipped its leash and attacked her.
According to statistics from DogsBite.org, a nonprofit that tracks dog attacks, approximately 1,000 Americans require emergency care daily for dog bite injuries, with about 12,480 hospitalised annually due to their severity. The organisation recorded 63 fatal dog bites in 2023, with children accounting for 24% of these tragic cases - the highest number of dog-related fatalities since 2005.
