Mother injured, child killed in dog attack were members of WRAL family

>>> WE HAVE A LOT OF WARMTH

>>> TONIGHT WAKE COUNTY ANIMAL

CONTROL IS TAKING A CLOSER LOOK

AT A DOG ATTACK THAT KILLED A

SEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND

SERIOUSLY INJURED HER MOTHER.

THIS HAPPENED YESTERDAY AROUND

5:00 IN THE AFTERNOON.

THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WERE

CARING FOR THE TWO PIT BULLS

WHILE THE OWNERS WERE OUT OF

TOWN.

THE WRAL DATA TRACKERS FOUND IN

THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF THIS

YEAR THERE HAVE BEEN AT LEAST

FOUR FATAL DOG ATTACKS

INVOLVING CHILDREN ACROSS THE

COUNTRY.

THIS MARKS THE FIFTH.

THE PIT BULLS ARE NO IN

QUARANTINE AT THE WAKE COUNTY

ANIMAL SHELTER.

THE ANIMAL SERVICES DIRECTOR

SAYS 70% OF DOG ATTACKS INVOLVE

CHILDREN AND OFTEN WITH DOGS

THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH.

>> YOU HAVE TO APPROACH EACH OF

THESE CASES WITH WHAT WAS GOING

ON, WHAT WAS THE SITUATION?

YOU CAN GET THE HISTORY OF THE

DOG, BUT JUST BECAUSE IT MAY OR

MAY NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF

FIGHTING DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE

WITH THE CURRENT SITUATION IS.

>> GARNER POLICE TELL WRAL THEY

HAVE NEVER FIELDED ANY

COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE DOGS IN

THE PAST.

>>> THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER IN

THIS STORY ARE MEMBERS OF THE

WRAL FAMILY.

HEATHER WORKS IN MASTER

CONTROL.

HER DAUGHTER WAS WELL KNOWN

AROUND THE NEWSROOM AND THE

STATION.

WRAL'S KEN SMITH HAS SOME OF

THE MEMORIES OF THIS PRECIOUS

FAMILY.

>> WE HAVE ALL BEEN PART OF

THIS WRAL FAMILY FOR A LONG

TIME . WHAT HAPPENS TO ONE

HAPPENS TO ALL OF US.

THAT IS WHY TONIGHT WE ARE

GRIEVING AFTER SUFFERING A

DEVASTATING LOSS OF A LITTLE

GIRL.

I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR ALL OF

US WHEN I SAY SHE TOUCHED OUR

LIVES IN A VERY SPECIAL WAY.

>> Reporter: WHEN YOU PICTURE

THIS SEVEN-YEAR-OLD, WE WANT

YOU TO NOTICE THE DISARMING

SMILE, A SMILE THAT IS LIKE A

RAY OF SUNSHINE.

THAT IS WHICH HE IS TO HER

FAMILY.

WHILE HEATHER AND HER DAD DAVE

SAY SHE IS THE FUN BIG SISTER TO

HER BABY SISTER AND SHE LOVED

HER BABY SISTER.

SHE WAS SO LOVED BY HER FAMILY

AT HOME AND HERE AT WRAL.

MANY OF US HAVE HEARTWARMING

STORIES OF THIS ENERGETIC

LITTLE GIRL WHO COULD FLY

THROUGH THE AIR WITH THE

GREATEST OF THESE.

SHE ALSO ENJOYED PLAYING HIDE

IN SCHOOL -- HIDE-AND-SEEK WITH

SOME OF US WHEN SHE WAS AT THE

STATION.

THIS KIND, OUTGOING LITTLE GIRL

COULD BRING A SMILE TO THE

FACES OF EVERYONE AROUND HER.

SHE KNEW HOW TO WOULD JOY

HERSELF, TOO, ESPECIALLY AT THE

STATION FOR EASTER EGG HUNTS

AND CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS

PARTIES.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PICTURE,

IT MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT SHE

WAS ASKING SANTA FOR.

NO DOUBT SHE WAS ALWAYS IN

SANTA'S NICE LIST.

THE MEMORIES OF HER WILL ALWAYS

STAY WITH US BECAUSE THAT

LITTLE GIRL, THAT DISARMING

SMILE, SHE WAS A GIFT TO ALL OF

US AND A RAY OF SUNSHINE.

>> THERE IS A GOFUNDME PAGE.

HEATHER STILL REMAINS IN THE

HOSPITAL RECOVERING FROM HER

INJURIES.

YOU CAN FIND THAT LINK IN THE

STORY ON WRAL.COM.

SHE WAS A FIRST GRADER AND THE

SCHOOL IS PROVIDING GRIEF

COUNSELORS FOR ALL OF HER

LITTLE CLASSMATES.

ONE A PERSONAL NOTE, WHEN I

WORKED WEEKENDS, I KEPT THE

COOKIE JAR AND MY DESK.

EVERY TIME SHE WOULD COME INTO

THE STATION, SHE WOULD SNEAK UP

AND SHE HAD A VERY QUIET VOICE.

SHE WOULD ASK FOR A COOKIE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> SHE JUST BROKE INTO THIS

HAPPY DANCE.

>> YEAH.

>> IT IS SOMETHING I WILL

CHERISH.

>> TWO THINGS ABOUT THIS, ONE,

IT REALLY BROUGHT HOME TO US

THAT EVERY STORY WE EVER DO IS

A TRAGIC STORY.

SOMEONE HAS A LIFE BEHIND IT.

THERE IS A FAMILY.

THERE WAS SOMEONE IMPACTED.

SOMETIMES WE GO THROUGH THINGS

SO QUICKLY WE TEND TO FORGET

THAT.

SECONDLY, WE WALK BY MASTER

CONTROL EVERY DAY.

THERE ARE FOLKS THERE TONIGHT

SUFFERING, ACHING AND CRYING.

GUYS, WE ARE WITH YOU.

TO SEE HEATHER'S CHAIR EMPTY

TODAY, IT GIVES ME CHILLS TO

THINK ABOUT IT, AS IT DID ALL

DAY LONG.

TO THE INTACT FAMILY, DAVE,

HEATHER, THE MEMORY OF YOUR

DAUGHTER, WE LOVE YOU.

WE DON'T JUST LOVE YOU TONIGHT.