Family Mourning After Miami-Dade Police Shoot, Kill Dog – NBC 6 South Florida

A Miami-Dade family is grieving and searching for answers after their dog was shot and killed by police while responding to a dispute between a landlord and tenant.

At least one Miami-Dade Police officer fired their weapon Saturday evening on Northwest 28th Avenue near 103rd Street, at an American Bulldog named Chaos. He later had to be put down.

“He was a really good dog; he was really trained,” said Alexander Rosario. Chaos was his 14-year-old daughter’s dog. “You tell him to sit down he would sit. You tell him to wait for his food, he would wait. I just don’t understand why they shot him …you know, I really miss him.”

The details of what happened after police arrived are still unclear. 

“I just know that by the time I got downstairs, my dog was shot and he was on the floor just crying, and I was trying to apply pressure to keep him alive,” Rosario said.

Miami-Dade Police said they started an internal investigation into the shooting

“I am aware of an incident involving my officers who responded to a dispute between two parties (Saturday) afternoon,” Interim Director George A. Perez Miami-Dade Police Department said in a statement. “Unfortunately, a dog was shot during the incident and an internal affairs investigation was initiated immediately. It is distressing for all involved any time 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.”

The department would not say if this shooting was captured on body cameras. Miami-Dade Police said they do not have a policy for officer interactions with dogs but could soon add one.

The family told NBC 6 that the officers did not allow the dog to leave the scene to receive medical attention until an hour-long investigation was complete. Miami-Dade Police Department would not confirm that, saying “no comment” because of the ongoing investigation.