A South Florida woman recalls a horrific dog attack while rescuing her poodle

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — A South Florida woman recounts the harrowing details of an attack by a neighbor’s dog as she fought to protect her little poodle, Coco, who was pulled from her arms.

Florencia Divano was on her daily walk with her two poodles, Coco and Buddy, on a Homestead street when the incident occurred on September 12th.

“I walked down that path and then crossed the street at the stop sign,” Divano said. “He was holding on to his leg and had problems here. I end up in the grass and have problems. I grab Coco and then the dog pulls, pushes, pulls, pushes still and I push him away and try to hit him to get him to go.”

What followed was a horrific tug-of-war between Divano and the attacking dog, which she says soon focused on her.

“I grab him and hit him; He stops biting my dog, but then he attacks me,” Divano said. “I got about ten bites.”

A Miami-Dade Police incident report confirmed she was treated at the scene by firefighters, who dressed her open wounds.

Divano has bite marks on both arms and chest, but the worst injuries were suffered by Coco, whose leg was left hanging on the skin after the dog’s two bones were broken.

The incident report from Miami-Dade Animal Services said the large male tan terrier mix would need to be quarantined for 10 days because of the attack.

Divano attempted to reach the dog’s owners, Eddie and Maria Otero, but received no response.

Community support for medical care

While Divano went to the hospital for a tetanus shot and treatment, Coco required emergency surgery and amputation was a possibility.

With vet bills estimated at $10,000, Divano feared she wouldn’t be able to afford the treatment.

“There was no way I could have paid this out of pocket to help my dog, and I didn’t want to sacrifice my dog,” she said.

Luckily, the emergency vet clinic offered her a solution: contact them Animal Welfare Society of South Florida.

The nonprofit organization, which operates as a full-service, low-cost veterinary clinic, specializes in helping pet owners facing financial hardship through community donations and grants.

Thanks to their support, Coco received the orthopedic surgery he urgently needed, at no cost to Divano, and the specialist was able to save his leg.

Herman Paredes from the Animal Welfare Society shared details of the operation: “He put a plate there and a few screws and here the fracture is already corrected. This little bone will grow over time.”

Coco’s recovery

To begin his recovery, Coco will need eight weeks of rest followed by physical therapy.

“He’s fine, he’ll be perfectly fine,” Paredes told Local 10 animal advocate Jacey Birch.

Despite his size, Coco has proven to be quite a brave dog.

“He wouldn’t let go and my dog ​​bit his nose and that made him let go of his leg,” Divano said.

In a recent update, Divano shared that Coco is recovering well and can even walk on his newly repaired leg.

Authorities said the dog responsible for the alleged attack has now completed its quarantine period and needs to be released by a veterinarian before returning home.

Those who would like to support the Animal Welfare Society of South Florida and other organizations that help pets in need can do so Click here or Here for more information.