A puppy found in abandoned conditions on the balcony of an apartment in the South Tower of ParkLine Miami was rescued this Saturday by Miami Police officers and agents from Miami-Dade Animal Services, after a denunciatory video went viral on social media and generated more than 100 reports to the authorities within a few hours.
The alarm was triggered by a resident of the building who posted images of the animal on Instagram and TikTok asking for urgent help.
In the video, the whistleblower described the situation with anguish: "It’s raining, it’s on the balcony, it’s malnourished, it has no water, it has no food. Please, raise awareness about this so we can save that poor animal from the nightmare it is living."
The puppy appeared visibly malnourished, surrounded by accumulated feces and urine, and exposed to the rain without any form of protection or food.
Citizen pressure on social media was the direct trigger for the intervention. In response to the flood of complaints, agents arrived at the building located in downtown Miami, removed the animal from the balcony, and placed it under specialized care for its recovery.
In the same operation, the person responsible for the apartment was arrested at the scene. Jail records identified the arrested individual as Kevin Alexander Benjamin, 27 years old, charged with animal cruelty with intent to injure or kill, a third-degree felony in Florida.
Benjamin was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with a bail of $5,000.
The resident who initiated the report celebrated the outcome on social media: "Thank you to everyone who echoed and shared! The pressure on social media and the swift action of the authorities yielded results. In Florida, animal abuse is a serious crime and is not tolerated."
The case draws attention due to the contrast between the environment and the animal's conditions: ParkLine Miami is a luxury residential complex consisting of two towers with 44 and 47 floors, featuring 816 apartments, built over the MiamiCentral transport center, and marketed with specific amenities for pets.
Under the Florida Statute 828, aggravated animal cruelty —which involves causing unnecessary suffering or cruel death— is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. The charge against Benjamin falls under this category.
The state has progressively tightened its legal framework on this matter. In 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the so-called “Trooper Law”, which makes it a third-degree felony to abandon tied-up dogs during states of emergency or evacuations.
Additionally, starting from October 1, 2026, a new regulation will come into effect that creates a public registry of animal offenders administered by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Related videos:
Filed under: