A quick-thinking teenager heroically stepped in to rescue a nine-year-old girl from a terrifying dog attack in Alabama. The incident unfolded in Cullman County on November 7, leaving the young girl in need of urgent care after a brutal encounter with a dog.

Delyla McCay and her 13-year-old sister were sitting on the steps of their apartment building when they were suddenly confronted by danger. A child passing by with a Blue Heeler lost control of the dog, which then viciously attacked Delyla, severely injuring her face and detaching her lip.

Recalling the traumatic event, Delyla’s mother, Katie McCay, shared with WBRC that her daughter described the attack saying, “Mommy, it grabbed my face, and it was just shaking.”

Amid the chaos, as Delyla’s sister screamed in panic, a nearby teenager sprang into action. The brave teen ran towards the scene, managing to free Delyla by repeatedly striking the dog until it released its grip. In the process, the teenager also suffered a bite.

As the attack unfolded and the older sister screamed in horror, a nearby teenager ran over and punched the dog until it let go. McCay said the teenager was also bitten in the process.

Delyla was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital for treatment after the attack. 

The mother told WBRC: ‘I’ve never dealt with nothing like that in my life and I just wouldn’t wish it on anybody.

‘And she’s the sweetest kid in the whole world. 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.’

Delyla McCay was viciously mauled by a Blue Heeler while sitting on the front steps of her apartment building in Alabama

The little girl required dozens of stitches for injuries to her face and back

The dog pounced on Delyla and clamped onto her face before shaking around

Delyla suffered severe injuries to her face and back. She received dozens of stitches to the injured areas, and she will require plastic surgery and rabies shots to make a full recovery. 

She was released from the hospital Monday night and was said to be doing well and remaining positive, even laughing at times during her early recovery. 

The dog was put down after injuring the little girl, according to Cullman County Animal Control.

Delyla’s mother said her emotions shifted after the attack. ‘For a few days it was crying, and now I’m pretty angry,’ she said. 

But she also acknowledged the difficult nature of the situation. ‘It’s hard for everybody. It’s hard all around because I know that they probably feel terrible,’ she said.

Katie set up an online fundraiser to help pay for the bills associated with her daughter’s medical treatment. 

Delyla’s mother, Katie McCay, said her emotions shifted from grief to anger in the days following the attack

Delyla was sitting outside with her 13-year-old sister when the dog attacked

Delyla’s mother described her daughter as ‘the sweetest kid in the whole world’

She explained that despite having insurance, the combined cost of co-pays, visiting plastic and general surgeons, and the cost of the helicopter ride – all while missing work – were becoming overwhelming. 

The fundraising goal was set at $2,000. As of Monday afternoon, that goal was smashed, and nearly $10,000 has been donated. 

‘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 page. 

This incident was similar to another dog attack that took place last month in Florida. In that case, an eight-year-old girl was hospitalized after a pit bull in her apartment complex slipped its leash and pounced on her. 

Delyla was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital for treatment after the attack

Delyla was released from the hospital Monday night, and she was said to be doing well and in good spirits

Katie set up an online fundraiser to help pay for bills associated with her daughter’s medical treatment. As of Monday afternoon, it smashed its goal of $2,000 with almost $10,000 donated

Like Delyla, she also suffered injuries to her face before the dog’s owner was able to regain control of the animal.  

According to DogsBite.org, a nonprofit that tracks dog attacks, every day nearly 1,000 US citizens require emergency care treatment for dog bite injuries, and about 12,480 are hospitalized due to their injuries every year.

The nonprofit recorded 63 fatal dog bites in 2023. Children made up 24 percent of those victims.

There is not yet data available for this year or last year, but the 2023 figure is the highest number of recorded deaths caused by dogs since 2005.