MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — For the first time, the woman seen in a viral video leaving a dog outside a South Florida animal shelter is sharing her side of the story.
“I hope you know that I was trying to help you,” she said. “I hope you know that I wasn’t trying to abandon you and I was trying to do the right thing.”
The widely shared video shows a dog being dropped off and then jumping onto a car.
The college student says she was trying desperately to do the right thing.
On Dec. 2, her roommate texted her, saying a stray dog was outside and she was afraid it would be hit on Northwest 107th Avenue. The woman went downstairs at 12:30 a.m. to get the dog. She said the dog was matted, and she tried to find help.
At about 9:30 a.m., she went to the Doral animal shelter, where she says staff told her they were full.
“There’s nothing we could do, we are full,” she recalled.
Miami-Dade Animal Services told Local 10 News they are investigating the incident and said options such as a waitlist are available.
“Yes, our shelter is currently operating over population, so we are limited with space,” spokesperson Gabriella Dominguez said. “However, that doesn’t mean that we turn away everybody that comes here. We do have proper steps in place. We have like a waitlist essentially, so if we don’t have space available right then and there, we kind of ask the person if they can hang on to the animal for a little bit.”
The woman, who already has a dog and a cat, said the stray was not microchipped and she did not have the resources to take on another pet. She was also preparing to leave for winter break and feared she could not care for the dog responsibly.
“Let me put him away from the busy street, but in the same neighborhood I found him in hopes that, hey, maybe I get closer to the owner,” she said. “Maybe the owner’s out there.”
The goldendoodle was later found, and the video spread rapidly on social media. The dog — now named Leo — was adopted.
Still, the woman says she has been portrayed unfairly.
“When I went home to my dog and I looked at him, I just, I cried for days,” she said. “I couldn’t sleep knowing (that) this beautiful animal is out in the dark or potentially in the rain, and I couldn’t keep him from that.”
Miami-Dade Animal Services says it is looking into the incident.
Officials say anyone who finds a stray should check for a microchip. They added that while there may be a waitlist at times, they will do everything they can to ensure a dog is brought into the shelter.
As for the woman involved, she says she has been living a nightmare and wanted people to hear her side of the story.
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