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Teen Says Police Fatally Shot Her Dog For Barking During Landlord Dispute

By: Molly Weinfurter
Molly Weinfurter is a writer for iHeartDogs, and she’s passionate about helping animals in need. She volunteers for Bailing Out Benji and a local dog rescue.Read more
| May 23, 2022

A family in Miami, Florida, never would’ve expected a landlord dispute to lead to their dog’s death. According to a 14-year-old girl and her aunt, Dunia Mota, it all started when the landlord came to the home with an eviction notice. The teenager was home with her Pit Bull named Chaos.

Chaos barked when he heard the landlord outside, and for some reason, that prompted the landlord to call the police. When the police arrived, they didn’t ask for details on the situation. Instead, they fatally shot Chaos in front of his young human. The family is devastated and insists that Chaos did nothing wrong.

Pit Bull sitting in car
screenshot, wsvn.com

Landlord Dispute Escalates

Unfortunately, a lot of details of the situation haven’t been mentioned. But based on the public information, poor Chaos died out of the blue. Mota said the landlord called the police to report the dog barking, and when officers arrived, they opened the door. Mota’s niece was about to put the dog in another room, but then the tragedy occurred.

“The police showed up, they opened the door to the house, and the dog was there and they shot the dog,” Mota said. “They just watched him basically die.”

Police claim they shot the dog after he came outside, but the 14-year-old says they shot him after entering the home. There’s blood in the house to prove it. The teen was standing only feet away when she saw her dog get shot.

Teen's Pit Bull shot
screenshot, wsvn.com

“I’m traumatized by it. It just keeps playing in my head over and over, like, I don’t know,” said the teen, who hasn’t been identified.

Pit Bull Didn’t Make it

Mota claims that the police refused to let the family take Chaos to the vet at first. Yet, the officer eventually gave in, so the family rushed the pup to a nearby emergency vet. When they got there, they received the news that every dog parent fears.

Since the dog was shot in the stomach, he was in critical condition and had to be put down. Mota and her family all say that Chaos was a sweetheart who did nothing wrong in this situation. So, they want justice for their dog.

Sweet Pit Bull face
screenshot, wsvn.com

RELATED: Man Leaves Dog At Shelter When Landlord Said, “Give Up Your Pit Bull Or You’re Out”

“He was very lovable. That dog never bit nobody, never jumped on nobody,” Mota said. “[My niece has] had him since he was like 2 weeks old or 3 weeks old, and now she doesn’t have him anymore.”

The Miami-Dade Police Department is now conducting an internal affairs investigation. In a statement, they said they are distressed about the situation because they care about both people and pets in the community. The investigation is still ongoing, and no information is public yet. But the police department promises to remain transparent when working with the people involved.

Featured Image: Screenshot, wsvn.com

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