SOUTH MIAMI, FLA. (WSVN) - Police have issued a public safety warning following a reported crocodile attack that left a family’s beloved dog dead in South Miami.
South Miami Police issued the advisory after a crocodile attack occurred early Thursday morning behind a home in the 6200 block of Southwest 64th Court.
Enrique Pomares said he and his family are heartbroken following the death of their 8-year-old Dutch shepherd, Kygo.
“It’s horrible. This crocodile is a murderer, and it wasn’t even for food. He just killed him to kill him, and this can’t be right,” he said.
Pomares said he let the dogs out in the backyard like he does every morning. But on Thursday, Kygo walked too close to the shoreline and was attacked by the crocodile.
“He tried to get away, and I tried to distract him and tried to get [the crocodile] to let [Kygo] go. I was even at the point of me going in the kayak to try to get the dog, but that would not have ended well,” said Pomares.
A good Samaritan later found the dog dead near a bridge around Southwest 63rd Court and 56th Street.
“And I let him know that his dog was here so he can come get his dog. Dogs are family. After a while, they become family; they ain’t just pets, so I know how he feels,” said area resident Dexter Lovett.
Police are now warning people with children or pets in the area to be cautious when walking near waterways and to keep dogs or pets on a leash. They also advise people against feeding, approaching or harassing a crocodile.
Residents said seeing a crocodile in the waterways isn’t unusual, but it’s a sobering reminder of what is swimming just below the surface.
“There’s a big crocodile, and he looks. He sits, and he watches. He watches me fish for probably three hours,” said Lovett.
Like the American Crocodile is protected by state and federal law, Pomares said there is not much authorities can do about this incident. He hopes he can take his heartbreak to Tallahassee and urge them to make a change.
“Unless [the crocodile] attacks a human, they are not going to do anything. They consider our pets, which are our family, our dogs, cats, anything, they consider it to be property, so you can’t even protect them,” he said. “We can’t have these animals going around killing other animals or, God forbid, people.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the incident and assessing the situation.
Authorities urge the public to contact them if they see a crocodile in their neighborhood.
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