Investigation continues into video showing alleged dog abuse, which owner denies

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Florida. – A cellphone video that appears to show a man punching a dog has generated tons of comments online.

The video shows a man appearing to hit a leashed dog not once, but twice, causing the dog to fall to the ground, before getting back up.

A neighbor who asked to remain anonymous said he witnessed the alleged abuse that happened near Southwest 164th Avenue and 290th Street in Miami-Dade County.

“The guy goes back into the cage with a leash, puts it on the dog, takes the dog out, carries him about two feet off the ground by the leash and the collar, and that's when I see this guy start hitting his dog,” said the neighbor. “And I say, 'I can't believe this is happening right now.'”

The dog's owner, identified only as Sherika, told Local 10 News over the phone that the man in the video was her son, but denies any abuse.

“I have a 2-year-old,” she said. “The dog was trying to attack my 2-year-old son. The dog tried to bite her in the face, so my son stopped the dog and took him outside, like, no, you don't do that.

Sherika says the dog is well cared for, pointing to this newly built dog crate. She claims the video was edited to make it appear as if the dog was being beaten.

“Anyone can tell you about my son, he’s a great kid,” she said. “Whoever made that video, he did it from the other side of the fence, and he put his own spin on the video, you know you can do that to video.”

Yolanda Berkowitz is a South Florida animal advocate and president of Miami Animal Friends.

After watching the video, she says action needs to be taken.

“We're going to do everything we can, personally for me and as a foundation, to support animal services in this area and to help in any way we can,” she said.

The same video was also sent to Miami-Dade police via a Crime Stoppers tip.

Officers immediately launched their own investigation, which remains open.