Mother reveals heartbreaking aftermath of family dog attack on infant daughter

A Michigan mother is sharing the traumatic story of her young daughter’s attack by the family dog, saying she believes the animal’s previous behaviour should have been taken more seriously.

Heather and Nicholas Harris’ daughter, Savannah, was 11 months old when she was attacked by their Weimaraner named Remington in October 2024.

The couple welcomed Remington into their home in 2021 when he was just eight weeks old. Heather said the dog had always been especially attached to her husband, Nicholas, and described him as "obsessed" with him.

"My husband had wanted that breed his whole life," Heather, 34, told Kennedy News & Media. "He ended up being super clingy with Nicholas. He was obsessed with my husband and hated me."

Heather said Remington had previously shown aggressive behaviour, including incidents involving their other dog. After consulting a veterinarian, the dog was placed on medication, and she said there had been no further attacks for several months.

However, the family dynamic changed after Heather and Nicholas welcomed Savannah in 2023.

In October 2024, Heather was at home with her daughter, who was moving around the kitchen in a walker. She said she always tried to keep Savannah supervised around Remington.

"I’d always tried never to keep my eyes off her or leave her in a room with him unattended," she recalled.

Heather said she suddenly heard Remington growl, followed by a scream from her daughter.

When she rushed into the room, she found that the dog had bitten Savannah’s face.

"He literally took a chunk of her cheek out," Heather said. "There was blood everywhere. The chunk was on the floor. It was so traumatic."

Savannah was taken to a children’s hospital, where doctors performed surgery using a bioengineered synthetic skin replacement to help repair the injury and support tissue growth.

The toddler has since undergone another procedure to remove scar tissue and is expected to have a final operation next month. Heather said her daughter will likely always have a scar, but is grateful the injury did not affect her facial nerve.

"He had barely missed it," she said. "I think if he had gotten her in the right spot, he probably could’ve [killed her]."

Remington was euthanized following the attack.

Looking back, Heather said she believes the dog’s aggression may have been connected to his behaviour toward her, though experts generally caution against interpreting animal behaviour as revenge or intentional spite.

"I feel like this was targeted at me," she said. "Ever since Savannah was born, I feel like he was even more clingy with my husband."

Heather is now urging other parents to take any signs of aggression from household pets seriously.

"If you have any kids in the home and your dog is showing any kind of aggression, then I think they need to be removed from the home completely," she said. "It’s just not worth it."