Leash up or else. Dog owners are put on notice after toddler is attacked at Miami park.
A week after a toddler was viciously bitten by a dog at Margaret Pace Park in Edgewater, community leaders and animal activists are calling on owners to leash up their pets.
On Monday morning, former first lady of Florida Carole Crist and American Humane Ambassador Jean Shafiroff gave a briefing at the bayside park near downtown. They noted an increase in dog bites since the pandemic began, with an increase in visitors from up north.
“People were pent up in their homes, and so were their dogs,” said Shafiroff, who has homes in New York and Palm Beach. “It’s natural to want to come down here to South Florida to have a kind of a life, and be outdoors.”
Over the summer, The Journal of Pediatrics reported emergency room visits for children with animal bites increased three-fold since the onset of coronavirus. Last Monday, a 2-year-old who was playing in the park was attacked by a Belgian Malinois, which was off its leash. There is an enclosed dog park at Margaret Pace, but the attack happened in a grassy field nearby, where leashes are required.
The public park, rimmed by condos, has a strict leash-only policy, but many residents and visitors either are unaware or disregard the signs, Shafiroff said.
Edward Arzayus told Local 10 how the tragedy unfolded. His son, Santino, was playing with friends after soccer practice around 5 p.m. when the large dog — which was wearing a leash but no owner holding it — knocked the child to the ground “like a missile” and began biting his face.
The father, who had been jogging nearby, got in the middle to prevent further injury. The man’s hand was bitten and the boy needed stitches to his cheek and had puncture wounds on his head.
According to a Miami police incident report, the 8-month-old puppy was being trained and got away from its handler. Because the dog’s shots were up to date and the animal had a leash on as well as a shock collar, the owner was not cited. The dog must quarantine for 10 days then be taken to a vet or animal control services for further analysis, the report said.
“His father intervened as any parent would and received quite a gash on one of his hands, and to me, that’s very disturbing to all of the neighbors in this area,” Miami Police Cmdr. Freddie Cruz said after the attack.
Dogs biting humans at Pace Park is not a rare occurrence, Shafiroff said. In January, Miami-Dade Animal Services and City of Miami Park Rangers came to the scenic downtown park to discuss the importance of adhering to posted park rules after a spate of unprovoked attacks.
Last Wednesday, the crew was in the park again, patrolling the area and giving warnings to anyone disobeying the law. According to Miami-Dade County animal ordinances, “Your dog is not permitted to roam free off your private property,” and fines begin at $50 for failure to comply.
Shafiroff says some officers will likely be undercover to cite scofflaws.
“I hope the situation gets better,” added the dog owner, who has five rescues. “What happened last week could have been devastating and has likely traumatized that child for life.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2021 at 4:42 PM.