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Zack Keithy, our author, is a certified veterinarian technician (UC Blue Ash) for over 6 years (contact him here). The articles written here are based on his expertise and experience, combined with a review by our expert vet reviewers including Dr M. Tarantino. Learn more about us here.
A dog named Dior, a French bulldog, is recovering after a viral TikTok video showing him trapped and severely malnourished on a Miami high-rise balcony led to his owner’s arrest and sparked a rescue effort that will end with him going home with the woman who first raised the alarm.
Rosalicia Bernal, a nearby resident at the ParkLine Miami condominiums, filmed Dior alone on the balcony, surrounded by waste, struggling to walk, and at one point drinking rainwater that had pooled on the floor.
“I need help. The dog is not safe,” Bernal said in the video, which went on to draw more than a million views after it spread across TikTok, Instagram, and X.
Caterina Balzano, another resident, joined Bernal in advocating for the dog, and the two contacted police together.
Police and Miami-Dade County Animal Services received a flood of calls as the video spread.
When officers arrived at the apartment, they said the dog’s ribs, spine, and other bones were visibly prominent through his loose skin.
Animal Control determined he was severely malnourished and dehydrated and needed immediate care.
His owner, 27-year-old Kevin Benjamin, was arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty with intent to injure or kill; he was held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $5,000 bond.
Dior is now receiving medical care, and Bernal has been approved to adopt him.
She plans to rename him and pick him up from the veterinarian in early October.
On Monday, the City of Miami held a press conference recognizing both Bernal and Balzano for their role in getting him help.
My thoughts: What stands out is how directly this traces from one person’s video to a specific, concrete outcome, not just awareness, but an arrest, a rescue, and an adoption, all within about a week.
Bernal didn’t just film it and move on; she stayed with it, got a second person involved, and ended up approved to give the dog the home he’s going to.
It’s a good reminder that a video going viral is only the first step; someone still has to follow through on what it starts.
Source: NBC 6 South Florida, CBS News Miami, and the Miami Herald, with additional reporting from iHeartDogs.com and SFL Media
