Miami High-Rise Rescue: Emaciated Dog Removed From Balcony; Owner Arrested On Animal Cruelty Charge

Neighbors and animal rescue volunteers in downtown Miami mobilized after social-media videos showed an emaciated dog lying on a high-rise balcony at ParkLine Miami. After hours of efforts to identify the exact unit, Miami-Dade County Animal Services removed the animal at about 1 a.m. Saturday, and police were later seen escorting a man from the building in handcuffs.

Local reporting, citing jail records, identified the man as Kevin Alexander Benjamin; NBC6 and CBS Miami reported he was charged with animal cruelty with intent to injure or kill. The charge is pending, and the facts alleged in the charge have not been proven in court.

Videos circulating online showed the dog lying on a balcony with visible waste nearby and an extremely thin frame, prompting urgent concern from residents. Catalina Balzano, who runs Bentley's Playhouse and the Fénix Animal Project, said her immediate priority after seeing the footage was to locate the apartment so rescuers could intervene.

"My first objective was to find out the unit number," Balzano told NBC6. "He just looked like he wasn't going to make it for much longer."

As the clips spread, more neighbors and volunteers converged on ParkLine Miami to help trace the dog to its unit. NBC6 footage showed police repeatedly knocking on the apartment without receiving an immediate answer before Animal Services staff were eventually able to remove the animal.

County Procedures and Response

Miami-Dade County guidance directs 311 staff who receive social-media reports of possible animal abuse to identify the address, check whether a cruelty service request already exists, and obtain the apartment number when the report involves a multiunit building. The county also lists extremely thin or emaciated animals among signs that should be documented in abuse complaints and instructs staff to open investigations for dogs kept on second-floor or higher patios that are not properly enclosed or appear neglected.

These procedures explain how the response was coordinated but do not, by themselves, determine what happened inside the apartment. The criminal allegation against the arrested individual remains under investigation and is pending.

Animal Care And Community Support

Animal Services confirmed the dog is in its custody and receiving medical treatment. Local nonprofit groups have been communicating with the agency about helping cover rehabilitation and medical costs. Community members and rescuers credited the rapid spread of the videos with helping strangers piece together details that led to the dog’s removal.

Miami-Dade officials remind the public that anyone who encounters an animal in immediate distress and in need of life-saving medical attention should seek immediate assistance rather than wait for a standard complaint process.