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/ CBS Miami
MIAMI — A woman is speaking out after her dog was killed by another dog at a Southwest Miami-Dade pet hotel while she and her family were on vacation.
When Cristina Gonzalez received a call that her 7-year-old poodle Olivia was mauled to death by another dog, she wanted justice. She did some digging and told CBS News Miami she found out that the owners were operating an illegal business.
“She left such a hole in our hearts and in our home,” Gonzalez told CBS News Miami. “Everything is quiet now.”
Gonzalez’s nightmare began in September when she left Olivia, known fondly as Ollie, along with her family’s two other dogs at the pet hotel. The owners, who were also their dog groomers, run a business called CosmoPAWlitan Pet Grooming.
“We really didn’t know the specifications of what it takes to have a boarding facility and we thought because they had done well with their grooming that they could be trusted,” she told CBS News Miami.
Gonzalez attached Apple AirTags to her three dogs and when they notified them of movement, she knew something was wrong.
“We sent a text message asking for pictures of what was going on and that was at some time in the afternoon,” Gonzalez said. “And around 11:30 p.m., we received an ‘everything is fine’ text.”
It was on Oct. 1 around 8 a.m. that Gonzalez received the call that Ollie had been killed.
“So, I don’t know what happened between 11:30 p.m. and 8 a.m.,” she told CBS News Miami.
Gonzalez said the owner told her mother it was one of their personal dogs that killed Ollie. They told her that Ollie got out of her enclosure and that’s when it happened. The owners offered to pay for Ollie’s funeral costs, but instead of taking the money, Gonzalez contacted Miami-Dade Animal Services.
“They were operating under the disguise under their grooming business, deceiving their customers into thinking they had a completely legitimate pet board hotel facility,” Gonzalez said. “They don’t even have a permit.”
An Animal Services inspector went out to the business and issued a citation for running a kennel without a license. Ollie’s owners said while she can’t get justice legally, she wants to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“I don’t want anyone else to experience this,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t want anyone else to fall to their knees when they get that call the way I did.”
CBS News Miami has reached out to the owners of CosmoPAWlitan Pet Grooming for comment on Friday and they responded on Saturday, stating that they do have a permit with Animal Services for their pet grooming business but “were not aware” that they needed a separate license for boarding services.
“Animal Services has already visited our establishment and noted that everything was [okay] with the boarding,” the business told CBS News Miami. “We just needed adequate licensing if we decide to continue providing this service but we’re no longer providing boarding services.”
CosmoPAWlitan Pet Grooming continued, saying that they knew about the “unfortunate incident” between Ollie and the other dog and offered to help Gonzalez because her dog was under their care and their “full responsibility.”
“We will never intentionally want for any of this to happen,” the owners told CBS News Miami.
Nikiya Carrero is an Emmy-nominated reporter who joined the CBS News Miami team in October 2023 and she is excited to be back home.
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©2024 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
