Miami Beach officers first examined the online report before determining the incident occurred in Coconut Grove and transferring the case.
MIAMI, Fla. — A disturbing social media post showing a dog submerged and tied to concrete blocks set off a rapid police response across two South Florida jurisdictions before authorities traced the scene to Coconut Grove and opened an investigation into suspected animal abuse.
The case illustrates how an online post with initially uncertain details developed into a formal investigation. Miami Beach police became aware Tuesday of images circulating on social media and began working to confirm whether the material was authentic and where the incident had occurred. Officers later determined that the location was in Coconut Grove, which is within the city of Miami, and turned the matter over to Miami police.
Miami police said detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the dog and following leads to identify the person responsible. Witnesses found the animal underwater and secured to two concrete blocks, according to police. Authorities have not publicly established who owned the dog, how it died or how long it had been in the water.
The uncertainty surrounding those facts has shaped the investigation. The original online material prompted widespread reaction, but detectives still must determine which details can be supported by physical evidence, witness accounts and other investigative work. Police have not said whether they know when the dog was placed in the water or whether the animal was alive at that time.
Investigators have contacted a person who may have owned the dog, police said Wednesday. Authorities have not confirmed that person’s ownership of the animal. The individual was questioned and later arrested on unrelated charges, but police have not announced any charge connecting that person to the suspected animal abuse. The person’s identity and the nature of the unrelated charges were not immediately released.
The case has also drawn attention from local officials. Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo said he contacted police after learning about the video and called the apparent treatment of the animal cruel and inhumane. City crews later removed the dog from the area while investigators continued working to establish what happened.
Florida law separates general animal cruelty from aggravated animal cruelty. Under state law, intentionally committing an act that results in an animal’s cruel death or excessive or repeated unnecessary suffering can constitute aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony. The statute also allows significant fines in qualifying cases. No such charge had been announced in the Coconut Grove investigation as of Wednesday.
Miami-Dade County has several systems for handling animal-cruelty cases after an investigation develops. County Animal Services investigates cruelty matters within its responsibilities, while the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office has an Animal Cruelty Unit that evaluates and prosecutes criminal cases involving harm, injury or extreme neglect when cases are referred for prosecution. The county also maintains a registry of people convicted of qualifying animal-abuse offenses.
Those procedures do not establish what happened in this case. Any possible criminal charge would depend on evidence gathered by investigators and a determination that the facts meet the elements of a specific offense. Police have not announced a cause of death, identified a suspect in the animal-abuse investigation or said whether prosecutors have been asked to review the case.
Detectives remained focused Wednesday on establishing the dog’s identity and ownership, determining the sequence of events and identifying anyone responsible for placing the animal in the water. The investigation remains open, and no animal-cruelty charges have been announced.
Author note: Last updated October 14, 2026.