A dog is on the mend after he was the victim of a vicious attack at an apartment complex in Miami, and now the precious pet’s owner is speaking out.
Cellphone video from the Feb. 16 incident is hard to watch. It shows an American bulldog mix that escaped its first-floor unit, as it made a beeline across the grass in the parking lot of the complex and sinking its teeth into the neck of a white schnauzer called Tico.
Speaking with 7News on Thursday, Tico’s owner, Ernesto Casaus, said the mauling has been a traumatic experience for the whole family.
“We can’t sleep all the time with that. Imagine that this dog almost killed our dog,” he said.
Casaus said he adopted Tico four years ago from Puerto Rico.
“He’s very friendly. All the time, he is playing, he is running around the house.”
But Casaus fears that after the brutal attack, his pet will never be the same.
“I think that he will have like a trauma,” he said.
And not only for Tico. Casaus’ mother was holding the leash on that disturbing day.
The cellphone video shows Casaus’ mother trying to yank Tico away from the bigger dog, who refused to let go. The driver of a pickup truck is captured honking their horn at one point, but the bulldog mix just kept on biting the schnauzer.
“I asked for help,” she told 7News in Spanish.
She said she tried and tried but couldn’t get anyone to help.
Eventually the attack knocked Ernesto’s mother to the ground.
“I fell, I hit my elbow, I hit my knee,” she said.
After she got back up, she began to strike the American bulldog mix with a traffic cone in an attempt to get the animal off Tico, to no avail.
Fortunately, Tico survived the ordeal.
Since the attack, Casaus said, the canine has undergone two surgeries.
“The first surgery was for four hours,” he said.
Veterinarians had to remove the skin around Tico’s neck. He currently has received at least 40 stitches to help him heal.
“He’s putting medicine every two days to try to recuperate that skin,” said Casaus.
As Tico is undergoing his treatment, his owner is pushing toward one goal: getting that vicious dog out of the complex.
“I want to try to have this dog out of here, because it’s very dangerous,” said Casaus.
Casaus said he has already filed an affidavit with Miami-Dade Animal Services.
Thursday night, a spokesperson with MDAS issued the following statement:
On Feb. 16, 2024, a dangerous dog investigation was initiated by a witness to the attack, who was not the owner of the dog that was attacked. The witness alleges an American Bulldog mix attacked a Schnauzer dog. Miami-Dade County Animal Services reached out to the Schnauzer owner and provided the required documents, which are currently pending their submittal.
The owner of the victim dog has a two-week period to submit their affidavit along with any supporting documentation, such as police reports, veterinary records, and pictures. Upon receipt of this documentation, Animal Services will proceed to provide the owner of the attacking dog with an affidavit, affording them a similar two-week timeframe for completion. Following the collection of evidence from both parties, Animal Services will assess any potential violations and designate the dog accordingly. If any violations are established, the owner of the attacking dog may face citations in relation to the incident.
It’s important to understand that the dangerous dog investigation process is conducted consistently, whether the incident involves attacks on humans or other domestic animals. The determination of a dog as aggressive or dangerous, as well as any ensuing citations, hinges on various factors carefully considered during the investigation.
Casaus said he doesn’t know when Tico’s bandages will be able to come off. He’s been having to take his dog to the veterinarian at least three times a week for checkups and bandage changes.
Casaus said the neighborhood is coming together. They’ve signed a letter asking for the other vicious dog to be removed.
Cassius also said the owner of the American bulldog mix has been paying for all of Tico’s vet bills.
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Source: wsvn
