North Miami woman wants pet owner held responsible for medical expenses following dog attack

NORTH MIAMI, Fla. – A Miami-Dade dog owner went through a horrifying ordeal when she said a neighbors dog got loose and attacked her and her one-year-old dachshund Louie.

“I just knew that as long as I hang onto them as tight as I can, he’s not gonna die,” said Lauren Wion. “If I lost any grip on him, the dog would take him, shake him and probably kill him.”

A surveillance camera at her North Miami apartment complex shows Wion and Louie approaching the enclosed dog park just before 5 p.m. Sunday.

Two larger dogs are tied by their leashes to the park’s perimeter fence, standing outside of the enclosure.

Seconds later, one breaks free and goes on the attack.

“He launched straight for Louie, so I struggled for probably about 30 seconds by myself,” Wion said.

The dog’s owner tried to break her dog’s grip and several others rushed over to help.

Louie had multiple bites and cuts and was treated at a nearby emergency animal hospital, needing sedation and sutures.

Wion suffered multiple scratches and a concussion.

“About $885 dollars between me and Louie,” she said.

Documents from the apartment complex show that pet owners are not allowed to tie up their pets, “to any fixed object on the Apartment Community.”

No humans were home when Local 10 News visited the dog owner’s apartment to ask about the incident, only the sound of dogs barking.

Wion wants the owner to pay for the medical expenses, and for animal control to do something.

“I just want her to be held responsible and I also want her to have control of her dog, and if her dog is dangerous, I want it to be labeled dangerous,” she said.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for Wion and Louie’s medical expenses, and that page can be found by clicking here.


About the Author:

Liane Morejon is an Emmy-winning reporter who joined the Local 10 News family in January 2010. Born and raised in Coral Gables, Liane has a unique perspective on covering news in her own backyard.