Family of girl killed by dogs raising money for animal care
The family of a girl who worried about the neglected dogs that eventually caused her death has taken a step to make her dreams come true.
An account on the GoFundMe crowd-sourcing site states that Jayla Rodriguez’s family hopes to raise $10,000 for the care of animals on the Pine Ridge Reservation.
It most likely would go to establish an animal shelter, said Camille Griffth, Jayla’s maternal aunt.
“We’re also in the process of starting a nonprofit organization,” she said. “We already have the paperwork started so that could be finished in the next couple weeks.”
Jayla died Nov. 22 in Pine Ridge after she was attacked by a pack of feral dogs while out sledding. She was 8 years old and the daughter of Danielle Griffith and Julian Rodriguez.
“It’s tough,” Camille Griffth said of the 12-day interval since her niece’s death. “Especially after the funeral and the wake being over, it’s even more tough. We’re just trying to put her memory in a positive way and make a difference, like she would want.”
Griffith, of Rapid City, said her extended family is working to make Jayla’s dream a reality. A cousin is preparing a web page that will share more details, and her father has experience in setting up nonprofits.
The GoFundIt page tells more about Jayla, a student at Red Cloud School, and her love for animals. It also details the incident that Danielle Griffith remembered after Jayla’s death.
“Jayla also loved animals. So much that once while she was driving through the reservation, she could see the withering state of the homeless dogs. Then she asked her mother why so many dogs there don’t have homes and are always hungry,” the explanation reads.
“The answer was hard for her heart to grasp. So she told her mother that one day she wanted to help the dogs find a home so they can know what it’s like to be loved and have a family. This statement rang deeply in her mother’s heart. She said she would love to help her baby's dream come to be.
“Sadly, Jayla passed away from the neglect of these poor animals and before this dream could come true. Her mother and her family wish to carry on her dream and make it into a living legacy.”
Online
Contribute to Jayla’s Dream on GoFundMe at at gofundme.com/hnys24.