Miami-Dade Animal Services took a dog named Diablo from its owner on Thursday, one day after the American pit bull severely bit a 17-year-old girl. The girl needed surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital, according to information shared with Local 10. Her mother provided photos of the injuries to the station.
Animal Services told Local 10 the bite was never reported to the agency. Officials said they did not respond to a call and had no information about the dog before the surrender.
The owner said she had Diablo since he was a few months old and that she rented a space where he lived with a mother and her two children. She said she was frustrated that police did not report the incident to animal control and that she was initially not allowed to surrender the dog.
“I’m a very, very responsible dog owner,” she said. She described mixed feelings about the surrender. She said she was relieved that Diablo could no longer hurt anyone, but she was heartbroken to lose him.
