Lauderdale Lakes Pet Sitter Faces Financial Ruin After Vicious Pit Bull Attack

In a harrowing incident that has spotlighted concerns over dangerous pets in Broward County, a Lauderdale Lakes pet sitter is grappling with severe financial burdens after her client’s small dog was brutally attacked by a larger, off-leash pit bull.

The Attack

On January 25th, Donna Wilson was walking Joffer, an 8-pound Yorkie, on a leash in her neighborhood when a large tan pit bull named Hercules, owned by Wilford Morris, charged at them. Wilson recounted the terrifying moment: “I looked down, and the pit bull had him in his mouth. My instinct at that point was I need to get him away from this dog, I need to get him out of that dog’s mouth!”

Wilson rushed Joffer to Blue Pearl Emergency Pet Hospital, where veterinarians feared the worst. The dog’s injuries were so severe it appeared as though the back of his body had been completely torn apart. Veterinarian Sagen Woolery performed life-saving surgery, but the cost exceeded $10,000. “By some miracle, every major structure in the area that he was injured was spared by just a couple millimeters,” Woolery noted.

Financial and Emotional Toll

Joffer’s owner, Susan Ramnarain, has been working seven days a week to cover the mounting medical bills. She reached out to Morris for assistance but received little help. Ramnarain described Joffer as more than just a pet, but a companion and member of her family: “Joffey is my soul companion, this is who I look forward to going home to. This is my baby.”

A History of Violence

This attack is not Hercules’s first offense. Records from Broward County Animal Care reveal that the pit bull has attacked at least two other small dogs and been involved in two human attacks. Despite this troubling history, Hercules was not deemed a dangerous dog, and no action was taken to remove him from his home. A muzzle order was in place at the time of the attack on Joffer.

Wilson herself was injured during the attack, suffering painful injuries to her left shoulder and chest as she shielded Joffer from the pit bull’s continued assault. She emphasized the potential severity of the situation: “Had they not come out and taken him off, he probably would have bit my face.”

Community Concerns

The case has raised serious concerns about the safety of both animals and humans in the area. Ramnarain emphasized that the consequences of the attack could have been far worse if it had been a child instead of a dog: “You have to understand this could have been a child!”

Local animal advocates are now calling for stronger regulations and penalties for dangerous dogs, as well as greater accountability for dog owners who fail to control their pets. The community is urging authorities to take more decisive action to prevent such incidents in the future.