A 4-year-old girl tried to give her new dog a treat. Instead, it turned on her — and killed her.
The dog attack that took place Sunday afternoon on a leafy street in southwestern Michigan happened so quickly — and was so tragic — that neighbors say they can’t get out of their minds what they witnessed.
Rebecca Davis told WWMT News that she heard frantic screaming around 4 p.m. outside her home in Sturgis, about 125 miles west of Detroit.
Rushing outside, Davis told the news station she found her next-door neighbor, Jacey McNeal Wolkins, sobbing hysterically over the body of her 4-year-old daughter, Kiyana McNeal.
Their new dog, which had just been delivered to their home that day, had reportedly attacked the little girl out of nowhere, Davis told the station.
“She said she had just bought the dog and the [seller] probably hadn’t been gone five minutes — and just that fast the dog attacked,” Davis said.
The girl had apparently been trying to give a treat to the dog when it suddenly lunged for her neck, WWMT reported.
McNeal Wolkins tried in vain to stop the attack, getting bitten in the process; she was later taken to a hospital with injuries to her head and hands, according to the Associated Press.
Davis’s husband, Kenneth, told WWMT that the man who sold them the dog rushed back to the home and tried to perform CPR on Kiyana.
“He was really distraught,” Kenneth Davis told the station. “You can imagine it, seemed that he was crying and he was really bad. You can imagine how he would feel.”
Kiyana died from the attack, and the dog, identified as a Doberman Pinscher or Doberman mix, was taken away by animal control, according to the AP.
Dog attack that killed 4-year-old leaves family heartbroken
By on October 25, 2016 at 11:10 AM, updated November 02, 2016 at 11:23 AM
Kiyana McNeal was the light of their lives, May said, well loved by extended family on both sides of the state.
The little girl had grown up around cats and dogs and was gentle around animals, May said.
“They had a little dog that Kiyana loved,” May said, and about eight months ago, her mother also adopted a Doberman named Willow. McNeal Wolkin had posted on Facebook in January that she’d like to know if anyone knew of a Doberman needing a home. That dog died from cancer about two months ago, and McLean wanted another Doberman.
She had apparently found young Doberman for sale in Illinois.
May said they were told that the man who owned the 3-year-old dog delivered it Sunday, and spent about 30 to 45 minutes with McNeal Wolkins and her daughter, allowing them to become acquainted with the dog, before leaving to return to Illinois.
But about 5 minutes before the attack, McNeal Wolkins called him and asked him to come back, May said. She did not know why she had asked that he return, but the man arrived back at the house in the 63000 Block of Fish Lake road as the dog was attacking and McNeal Wolkins was struggling to get the large animal away from the child.
May said they were told Kiyana had been trying to train the dog with a biscuit when it attacked.
“The dog came sniffed it once, then sniffed it again, and then came and attacked,” May said. She said she is not sure how they were able to get 
the dog to stop, but that neighbors saw the man from Illinois carrying the child’s blood-covered body outside to start performing CPR before emergency workers arrived.
Their efforts were unsuccessful.
The police officer told them that McNeal Wolkins was bitten, too, on her head and arms.
McNeal Wolkins has two teenage sons who live with their father, according to May.
Johnson, too, is distraught.
“She was our world,” May said.
May said she hopes sharing their families’ heartache will help protect some other child.
“I want people to know – well, sometimes we forget that animals are animals because we love them,” May said. “But small children are at such risk, we need to find a safe environment to bring animals together with children.”
Read more: http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2016/10/dog_attack_leaves_childs_famil.html
Neighbors: ‘No warning’ before dog killed 4-year-old
SHERMAN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Neighbors say a 4-year-old girl killed by her new dog was giving the animal a biscuit when it suddenly attacked.
The mauling happened at 4:03 p.m. Sunday at the family’s home in the 63000 block of W. Fish Lake Road, located in Sherman Township, north of Sturgis.
“I was in my bedroom and I heard the screaming. And I heard somebody holler, ‘Becky!’” said Becky Davis.
Davis and her husband Kenneth live next door to the girl they identified as Kiyana McNeal and her mother, Jacey McNeal Wolkins.
They say Wolkins adopted the dog, described as a Doberman or Doberman mix, shortly before the attack. Kiyana’s mother told Becky Davis the girl was training the dog with a treat.
“The dog come and sniffed it. And then stepped back. Then come, sniffed it again,” recounted Becky Davis. “And evidently the third time he got her.”
The Davises say the dog grabbed Kiyana by the neck. Her mother was injured trying to fight the dog off. Family members say she has since been released from the hospital.
Neighbors saw the child being carried from the home as they waited for help.
“The mother and the guy who brought the dog, they had the baby on the ground doing CPR. It didn’t do any good,” said Becky Davis.
A YouCaring page set up to cover Kiyana’s funeral expenses said the dog attacked the young girl as its old owner began to leave.
“The man that had it (the dog) said he’d never bothered a child or nothing before. No, there was no warning,” Davis added.
Read more: http://woodtv.com/2016/10/23/girl-4-attacked-and-killed-by-dog-near-sturgis/
Community mourns loss of little girl killed by dog
STURGIS, Mich. — Kiyana McNeal loved running over to her neighbors’ house and hanging out with them. And the Kenneth and Rebecca Davis loved having her. Kenneth put in a gate for her to get to their home easier. She would rush through it, walk into their home like it was hers, and play with their recliner. She liked watching the foot rest go up and down.
“She’d come in the door: ‘Hi Pa-Pa,’” Kenneth, 85, remembered the four-year-old saying to him. “And when she left she said, ‘Bye Pa-Pa.’”
She always said “I love you” whenever she left, Rebecca recalled.
Now the Davises miss her terribly, because Sunday afternoon Kiyana was attacked and killed by a dog she had just met.
Rebecca, 74, was in her bedroom when it happened. “I heard somebody screaming,” she said during an interview at her home. “Then that’s all I heard. I went outside and I saw her coming out of the house carrying Kiyana.”
Rebecca said the Doberman attacked Kiyana in the little girl’s home. She was giving the dog a treat, which it sniffed a few times. They said it was on the third sniff that the dog lunged at her and bit her in the throat and did not let go. Kenneth said it tossed her around like a “rag doll.”
“When they brought Kiyana out the house, I saw her mother had lots and lots of blood,” Kenneth said of Jacey McNeal Wolkins. “Any blood, it was from Kiyana.”
Immediately people from the neighborhood ran to help Kiyanna. One of the neighbors who heard ‘help, help’ called 911. Jacey called the guy who sold her the dog and brought it to her house five minutes before the attack. He turned around and sped back to the house.
“The man that brought the dog, he’s the one that started CPR first,” said Kenneth. “Then other people came. Centerville police came.”
Police took the dog to animal control while first responders tended to the body. They tried to revive her, Rebecca said, but nothing worked. The man who sold her the dog was crying.
Read more: http://fox17online.com/2016/10/24/officials-dog-kills-4-year-old-southwestern-michigan-girl/
2016 Dog Bite Fatality: New Dog Kills 4-Year Old Child, Injures Mother in Southwestern Michigan
DogsBite.org reports
No Criminal Charges
UPDATE 11/02/16: On October 23, 4-year old Kiyana McNeal was fatally attacked in the neck by a doberman-type dog either purchased or 
adopted by her mother just 45 minutes earlier from an Illinois man. He drove the dog to their home off West Fish Lake Road in Sherman Township then left under an hour later. Very few other details have been released. Today, the St. Joseph County prosecutor’s office announced there was insufficient evidence to bring any criminal charges.
No information was provided about where the mother located the dog — on Craigslist, Facebook or a rescue dog forum board? No information was provided about how the dog was advertised. Was the animal advertised as “Good with Kids?” No information was provided about the “mix” of the “doberman-mix,” however, social media speculation presumes a canis panther, a doberman-type protection dog variant. The public will never know the answers to these important questions.
Read more: https://blog.dogsbite.org/2016/10/2016-dog-bite-fatality-new-dog-kills-4.html
Doberman Pinscher
The Doberman Pinscher was created from a mix of German hunting dogs. Later it was used to perform duties as a watchdog and bodyguard. 
It was bred to be fearless, intimidating, aggressive, and ferocious, to complete the role as a personal protection dog, police dog, and war dog. Later the Doberman was used for tracking, sentry, guarding, police work, military work, and search and rescue (SAR). These canines are not used as much today in these roles as other breeds replaced them. The breed has since been refined into the Doberman it is today.
Most breeders are now selecting for a less aggressive dog that can fit well into a companion dog environment. Changing the inherited traits of a breed can be a slow process taking many generations to evolve. Although improvements can be seen, there are Doberman Pinschers that still possess the older characteristics. It is important to keep in mind that both types of Doberman Pinscher bloodlines still exist today in Europe and America. Bloodlines should be determined before selecting a Doberman Pinscher as a family pet.
Learn more about the Doberman Pinscher
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Payton Sawyers (1) – Independence, VA – Killed By Pit Bull-Mix While Under Care Of Babysitters (1/8/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/01/payton-sawyers-independence-virginia-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Talen Nathan West (7) – Lumberton, NC – Killed By Neighbor’s Pit Bull While Playing In The Woods With His Brother (1/24/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/01/talen-nathan-west-lumberton-north-carolina-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Aiden Grim-Morelli (3 days) – Youngstown, OH – Killed By Family “Mix-breed Shepherd” When Left In A Laundry Basket (2/8/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/02/aiden-grim-morelli-youngstown-ohio-shepherd-death/
Suzanne Story (36) – Hertford, NC – Killed By A Pit Bull-Mix She Adopted 2 Weeks Earlier (2/10/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/02/suzanne-story-hertford-north-carolina-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Gladys Alexander (92) – Olympia, WA – Killed By Her Neighbor’s 4 Pit Bull-Mixes While Delivering Newspaper (3/8/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/03/gladys-alexander-olympia-wa-pit-bull-mix-fatal-dog-attack/
Bessie Flowers (86) – Charlotte, NC – Killed By Her Daughter’s 2 Pit Bulls While Visiting (3/28/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/03/bessie-flowers-charlotte-north-carolina-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Sonda Dyan Tyson (66) – Leesburg, FL – Killed By Her Own Pit Bull-Bullmastiff mix (3/31/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/03/sonda-dyan-tyson-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Valente Lopez Aguirre (58) – Fresno County, CA – Killed By Pack Of Dogs (4/14/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/04/valente-lopez-aguirre-fresno-county-ca-robert-simonian/
Sebastian Caban (3 days) – San Diego, CA – Killed By The Family Pit Bull-Mix While Lying In Bed With His Parents (4/21/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/04/sebastian-caban-san-diego-ca-fatal-pit-bull-attack-mira-mesa/
Manuel Mejia (49) – Homestead, FL – Killed By 1 Pit Bull Type & 9 Belgian Malinois-Bulldog Mixes While Farming (4/24/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/04/manuel-mejia-homestead-florida-fatal-dog-attack-2016/
Adonis Reddick (45) – St. Louis County, MO – Killed By His Own Pit Bull (5/9/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/05/adonis-reddick-st-louis-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Antoinette Brown (52) – Dallas, TX – Killed By A Pack Of 4 Pit Bull-Mixes, Rottweiler, Shepherd & Doberman-Mixes (5/9/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/05/antoinette-brown-dallas-texas-fatal-dog-attack/
Earl Stephens Jr. (43) – Stockton, CA – Killed By 3 Pit Bulls While Visiting A Friend – (6/4/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/06/earl-stephens-jr-stockton-ca-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Hunter Bragg (7) – Corinna, ME – Killed By A Pit Bull While Playing In Father’s Yard (6/4/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/06/hunter-bragg-corinna-maine-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Erin McCleskey (36) – Manor, TX – Killed By Pack Of Dogs While Serving Papers (6/15/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/06/erin-mccleskey-36-manor-texas-dog-bite-related-fatality/
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Kayden Begay (3) – Navajo Nation Reservation, AZ – Killed By The Neighbor’s 5 Pit Bulls (7/14/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/07/kayden-begay-navajo-nation-reservation-az-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Elizabeth Rivera (71) – Detroit, MI – Killed By Her Daughter’s 4 Pit Bulls (7/16/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/07/elizabeth-rivera-detroit-michigan-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Crisencio Aliado (52) – Honolulu, HI – Killed By 2 Loose Pit Bull-Mixes (7/29/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/07/crisencio-aliado-honolulu-hawaii-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Michelle Wilcox (30) – Screven County, Georgia – Killed By Her Boyfriend’s Pit Bull While Visiting (8/1/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/08/michelle-wilcox-screven-county-georgia-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Derion Stevenson (9) – Las Vegas, NV – Killed By Pit Bull-Mix While Visiting Friend (8/17/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/08/derion-stevenson-las-vegas-nevada-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Michael Downing (83) – Jacksonville, FL – Killed By Rottweiler & 3 Mixed-Breeds While Taking Out Trash (8/19/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/08/michael-downing-jacksonville-florida-fatal-dog-attack/
Susan Shawl (60) – Conifer, CO – Killed By Her Son’s 2 Family Pit Bulls (8/29/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/08/richard-susan-shawl-conifer-colorado-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Baby Jane Doe (6-days) – College Station, TX – Killed By Breed Unknown (9/1/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/09/baby-jane-doe-college-station-texas-fatal-dog-attack/
Piper Dunbar (2) – Topeka, KS – Killed By Family Friend’s 2 Pit Bulls (9/24/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/09/piper-dunbar-topeka-kansas-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Kiyana McNeal (4) – Sherman Township, MI – Killed By A Doberman-Mix Within An Hour Of Adopting (10/23/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/10/kiyana-mcneal-sherman-township-dog-doberman-fatal-attack/
Daisie Bradshaw (68) – New York City, NY – Killed By Her Daughter’s 2 Pit Bull-Mixes (10/25/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/10/daisie-bradshaw-68-staten-island-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
Isaiah Jacob Franklin (6) – Huntington, WV – Killed By The Family Pit Bull (12/2/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/12/isaiah-jacob-franklin-huntington-west-virginia-fatal-pit-bull-attack/
David Fear (64) – Grover Beach, CA – Killed By Neighbor’s Police K9 (12/16/16) https://www.daxtonsfriends.com/2016/12/david-fear-grover-beach-california-fatal-dog-attack/