NORTH MIAMI, Fla. — A North Miami mother and her teenage daughter are recovering from a vicious dog attack that left them with deep gashes and lasting trauma.
Michaelle Charlostin said she needed 22 stitches after being mauled by a dog Tuesday afternoon at her apartment complex. Her 15-year-old daughter was also bitten during the attack.
“Last night I couldn’t sleep because I kept jumping out of my sleep and still thinking of the what ifs that could have happened,” Charlostin said Wednesday with her arms and legs wrapped in bandages.
Charlostin shared photos showing deep cuts and claw marks across her body. She described lying on the ground, fearing she wouldn’t survive.
“The most emotional is the fact that as I was laying there, I could see like my life,” she said. “I’m just laying on the floor thinking, okay, this is it. I’m just gonna leave my kids motherless.”
North Miami police said the dog’s owner was cited for failing to have proper tags, vaccinations and paperwork for the animal. The dog has been placed under a 10-day quarantine while the investigation continues.
Neighbors told Local 10 News the attack happened around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in a courtyard off Northeast Sixth Avenue near 138th Street and lasted several minutes.
“I saw the dog bite her and it was terrible,” said Jaqueline, who lives nearby. “She was screaming to death. There was nothing we could do but call the police.”
The dog’s owner told reporters the incident was a “misunderstanding,” claiming the victims knew the dog and that the teen only tried to pet it.
Charlostin said she is frustrated with the dog owner and also disappointed by what she described as mixed messages from her apartment complex about pet policies.
When asked if she and her daughter will ever fully recover, Charlostin said, “I don’t think … the post-traumatic stress will still remain with me.”
The North Miami attack came just eight days after a 71-year-old woman was mauled to death by dogs in Miami Gardens, an incident that remains under investigation.
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