Parents for Dog Bite Awareness

Kara’s story was published as a wall post on our Facebook page and not as part of the #saytheirnames profile series, so I’m moving her story over here. Thank you. 💔

Little Kara had just turned 4 years old when her family’s pitbulls fatally mauled her on her birthday 🎂.

Her mother, Roxanne, shared the details of what happened on that fateful day to raise awareness so that other parents do not make the same mistake.

Parents, you are intimately aware that we can’t control everything in this world. But we as parents can absolutely control what dogs we choose to bring into our homes and around our children. It doesn’t matter if some people successfully keep bloodsport dogs around children. It doesn’t matter if you’re a great parent, because nobody is 100% perfect, 100% of the time.

It only takes one moment for dogs to complete their genetic purpose. The choice about what dog to own as a parent with children is one of the few choices you as a parent can make with clear differences in outcomes. Choosing a dog that lacks the propensity or the capability to kill your child is simple.

Remember Kara. Don’t let her life be in vain. Make a different choice.

-JL©️

I’ve included an excerpt of the mom’s letter on what happened that day:

“She rolled over and said, “Mama, just hold me a little extra longer today, today is my birthday, it’s going to be such a beautiful day!”

We giggled and we snuggled and sang you are my sunshine as we do every morning, and then we sang many different versions of happy birthday to Kara.

She brushed her teeth, combed her hair, I put it into a perfect – Kara approved – pony tail, she put on a beautiful pink dress, as she said she was the princess for the whole day of course.

Gramma and Grandpa showed up so mommy could go to work. Kara didn’t want me to go and begged me to stay home with her, she was mad because we weren’t having her party until Sunday at GYmanastics and begged to open presents today. I promised her some presents could be opened and that we would make a very special shopping trip when I got home. And I walked out the door — that was the last time I would ever see my baby girl alive again.

I got off work a little early that day and decided that she needed a few more presents that just couldn’t wait to be bought, and then I headed home. My husband called me and wanted to know why Brutus was outside when he got home. I said I didn’t know.

And then my nightmare began. I pulled into the entrance of my subdivision and noticed a red glow over the street corner. I remember wondering what on earth could be going on in my quiet little subdivision full of daycares and minivans.

As I rounded the corner I could see the street was blocked off, full of firetrucks, police, and families standing outside. I still wondered what was going on; I was flagged and told to pull over.

I then looked up and saw that it was my house they were all at, my yard was taped in crime scene ribbon, full of police officers, fire personnel, lots of noise and commotion, I was met by police officers, my husband covered in blood, and my mother, all of whom were screaming, and crying, and telling me it was bad, so very bad.

I asked for my kids, Kaylee was at the neighbors, it was my Kara, my Kara had been attacked by our family pit bulls. I was told to go to the neighbors, wasn’t allowed to go anywhere near my house, or my yard, told to wait. Told that they were “working ” on her. I never got to see her, to hold her hand, to let her know I was there and that I loved her. I screamed…

My daughter had been brutally and viciously mauled to death. She died from massive blood loss, her arms, legs, skull, face, and major arteries savagely damaged. The coroner said she didn’t feel the pain as they went straight for the jugular and continued to shred until she was lifeless and unrecognizable. These were her family pit bulls that we raised from puppies. She picked them out herself. They were treated as members of the family, loved, exercised, fed well, and respected. Yet they savagely murdered the little girl who loved and cared for them the most in this world without a second thought, directly following they acted as if nothing happened.

She hadn’t riled them up, she hadn’t abused them, she was happily playing in the other room, they came after her and pulled her out of my mother’s arms to attack, maul, and kill her. Her 2 year old sister was also there, my mother was able to save her and told her to run upstairs and hide, while she tried to get the dogs to release Kara. My two year old little girl witnessed this mauling, the final sounds of her hero best friend sister being mauled by the family pit bulls…..The dogs she also loved and cherished.” -Roxanne Hartrich

Thanks to Pet Safety Activist Sarah for the story request. If you have a request or submission, please comment here or email us.