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Puppy Shop Owner Apologizes After Parkland Couple's Dog Loses Eye in Attack

Hunter after losing his right eye. {courtesy}

A Parkland couple is heartbroken after their beloved family dog lost his eye when another dog bit him at a local puppy shop.

Hunter, a sweet-natured, nine-year-old Cavalier-Poodle mix, was standing on a grooming table at Puppy Plus on North State Road 7 when a gray, mixed-breed dog – identified as a pit bull in a police report – suddenly leaped at Hunter and bit his right eye.

Surveillance footage shows the April 19 incident happening in a split second as the gray dog was being walked on a retractable harness leash toward the back of the shop’s grooming area.

As the canine passed Hunter’s table, it jumped up and bit Hunter, leaving his eye dangling from its socket. Puppy Plus staffers brought him to 441 Animal Hospital in Boca Raton, where his eye was surgically removed, said Hunter’s owners, Michelle and Bruce Ross.

The video shows that after an injured Hunter cried out in pain, the Rosses’ other dog, a shih tzu bichon mix named Delilah, was heard barking in the background.

“The whole story is horrific,” said Michelle Ross, 65. “Our entire family is devastated.”

Ross said Hunter should never have been left within reach of the dog that bit him.

Hunter before. {courtesy}

She and her husband, Bruce, blame Puppy Plus for their dog’s injury—the store where they purchased Hunter and where he’s been frequently groomed for the past nine years.

“I’ve had people reach out to me who take care of dogs and say, ‘There’s no way that the person who was walking the dog into the back should have had that dog on such a long leash,’” she said.

Puppy Plus owner Joseph Dagher insists the dog that bit Hunter is to blame. He said the man, Christopher Woods, 43, told him his dog was “sweet and non-aggressive,” leading Dagher to accept him as a client.

Dagher said Woods was apologetic after the incident and offered to pay for Hunter’s care “but has since declined and threatened to press harassment charges if Puppy Plus continued to pursue him to pay the bill,” according to a document written by Dagher’s insurance company.

A Broward Sheriff’s Office Parkland District Deputy told Woods to quarantine his dog at his home until contacted by Broward County Animal Care, according to the police report. It was not clear Tuesday whether the agency took any action in the case.

Dagher said he has hired an attorney to pursue payment for Hunter’s care from his insurer and Woods.

Efforts to reach Woods, a Deerfield Beach resident, were not successful.

The Rosses said it was Dagher who failed to make good on his promise to pay the $501 in vet bills stemming from Hunter’s follow-up care, including treatment for an infection of Hunter’s eye wound.

Dagher, 57, previously paid the bill for Hunter’s eye surgery, which he said cost $2,589.

He insists his shop followed all safety protocols, that the dog that bit Hunter was properly leashed, and that he and his grooming staff did nothing wrong.

“We are extremely, extremely sorry for what happened,” said Dagher, a Parkland resident who’s been in business for 24 years. “We’ve never had a dog bite in our store. I feel horrible and sad.”

Dagher said his initial offer to pay all of Ross’ vet bills was contingent upon her using his preferred vet, 441 Animal Hospital, rather than her preferred vet. Otherwise, Dagher said, he’d have to wait for his insurance company to cover the expenses.

Ross said Hunter’s post-surgery infection led to her decision to use her own vets at Coral Springs Animal Hospital and that Dagher should have reimbursed her based on their discussions.

Dagher said he’s trying to compel his insurer to pay the $501 and cover any related care for Hunter going forward. He said Monday he would pay Ross the money immediately if that’s what it took to resolve their disagreement.

He said his shop will no longer allow pit bulls as a result of Hunter’s injury.

“We’ve taken extra measures to make sure this never happens again,” Dagher said.

The Rosses said they are not seeking money from Dagher but will not return to Puppy Plus.

“Our only opinion is that we entrusted the care of our dogs to this business, and our expectation was that they would be safe, and in the end, that’s not what happened,” Bruce Ross said.

As for Hunter, the cuddly pup has already gotten used to life with one eye.

“He’s wonderful, he’s adapted totally,” Michelle Ross said. “We are very, very, very grateful that he wasn’t killed.”

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Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning journalist and author of two nonfiction books. He covers general assignment news and Jewish community issues for Talk Media. He has also worked as a staff writer at The Miami Times, the Rio Grande SUN, the New York Daily News, Newsday, The Miami Herald, The Palm Beach Post, The Riverdale Press, and Bronx Justice News.