Family dog kills ‘cheerful’ 1-year-old girl who reached for its food as the pocket bully was eating
- A’myrikal Jolynn Hull died after pet bit her on the head when she reached for the food while the dog was eating
- A’myrikal was rushed to an emergency room by ambulance but died at Hospital Sisters Health System’s St. John’s Hospital in Springfield
- The female pocket bully is a pitbull and Patterdale terrier mix that had been with the family for about four years
- The dog was taken into custody by the Sangamon County Animal Control Division and officials say the family will decide whether the dog will be put down
A 1-year-old girl in Illinois was killed by her dog after she got too close to the animal’s bowl while it was feeding.
A’myrikal Jolynn Hull was attacked by the female pocket bully — a pitbull and Patterdale terrier mix — when she went near the animal in Springfield, Illinois, on March 18, the State Journal-Register reported.
‘The baby walked by the dog as she was eating and reached for her food,’ family friend Cory Painter said. ‘This is nothing new. The dog would eat snacks out of the baby’s hand.’
The dog bit the girl on the head, forcing her two uncles to pry the animal off her, WICS reported.
A’myrikal, who was born March 7, 2020, was rushed to an emergency room by ambulance but died at Hospital Sisters Health System’s St. John’s Hospital, a regional medical center in Springfield.
A’myrikal Jolynn Hull was killed by her family’s dog after she got too close to the animal’s bowl while it was feeding in Springfield, Illinois, on March 18
A family friend says she was reaching for the dog’s food when she was attacked, but normally the animal ‘would eat snacks out of the baby’s hand’
A’myrikal celebrated her first birthday just weeks before the dog attack that killed her
‘She had these amazing big eyes,’ Painter said. ‘She was always smiling and cheerful.’
A’myrikal’s family said the girl’s funeral is scheduled for March 31.
Painter has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for the funeral that has already garnered more than $7,000.
‘The way the community has come together for this family is nothing but amazing,’ Painter said.
The dog, which had been with the family for about four years, was taken into custody by the Sangamon County Animal Control Division and was under observation. Animal control officials said the family will decide whether to put down the dog.
The Pocket Bully is a shorter version of the Standard American Bully dog breed. Otherwise the dogs share the same build, body and breed type, according to the American Bully Kennel Club website.
A’myrikal’s family shared memories of her online and have scheduled her funeral for March 31. A GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses has already garnered more than $7,000
The Pocket Bully is a shorter version of the Standard American Bully dog breed, pictured
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