“Ma’am, it appears that the dog didn’t attack your daughter. It was an unfortunate accident. The girl lost her balance and fell. Rocky was just trying to avoid being pulled.”

The woman’s face reddened. She stammered, trying to find words, but they seemed to elude her. The tension that had gripped the air slowly dissipated, leaving behind an awkward silence. I took a deep breath, relief washing over me like a tide.

“I understand your concern,” I said, trying to bridge the now-awkward gap. “It can be scary when a child gets hurt. But as you can see, Rocky didn’t mean any harm.”