NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - A 14-year-old girl’s dog had to be put down after, police said, the pet was shot by a Miami-Dade Police officer responding to a landlord-tenant dispute in Northwest Miami-Dade, triggering an internal affairs investigation.
Speaking with 7News on Sunday, the teen’s aunt, Dunia Mota, described the incident that has left her family devastated.
“The police showed up, they opened the door to the house, and the dog was there, and they shot the dog,” she said. “They just watched him basically die.”
Mota said the chain of events leading up to Saturday’s shooting began when the landlord came to serve an eviction notice at the home, located along Northwest 28th Avenue, near 103rd Street.
Mota said the landlord heard the dog, called Chaos, barking inside and called police.
When Miami-Dade Police officers responded, Mota said, her niece tried to put the dog away, but at some point, things escalated.
“I told him to wait outside of the door, and he just opened my door and shot the dog inside my house,” said the teen, who did not want to be identified.
“They shot the dog in front of her. You know, that was her puppy. It was her therapy, her baby,” said Mota.
Mota said her niece was standing just feet away from where the officer opened fire.
The teen spoke with 7News off camera.
“I’m traumatized by it. It just keeps playing in my head over and over, like, I don’t know,” she said. “He just came inside the house and shot him.”
At first, Mota said, the officer who pulled the trigger refused to let the family take Chaos to a veterinarian for treatment. When he finally did, they drove the canine to an animal clinic in Doral where they learned the extent of his injuries.
“We had to put the dog to sleep because they shot him in the stomach,” said Mota.
Sunday afternoon, MDPD Interim Director George A. Perez confirmed there is an active internal affairs investigation underway. He released a statement that reads in part, “It is distressing for all involved anytime an officer discharges their firearm. We care about each of our community members, including our pets, and will maintain our stance on transparency throughout this investigation.”
Police have not provided additional information about the shooting.
Mota said Chaos wasn’t a violent dog and insisted that Chaos did nothing wrong.
“He was very lovable. That dog never bit nobody, never jumped on nobody,” she said. “[My niece has] had him since he was like 2 weeks old or 3 weeks old, and now she doesn’t have him anymore.”
“I feel sad. I feel empty inside. I didn’t know what to do. I felt helpless,” said the teen.
As of Monday afternoon, it is unclear where the investigation stands, but it is ongoing.
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