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Article Courtesy of The
Miami Herald
Opinion By Nicole R. Kurtz
Published December 21, 2025
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It is no secret that dangerous dogs pose significant hazards to public safety.
In September, a 71-year-old woman was mauled to death by dogs in Miami Gardens,
and a dog killed a 5-month-old infant near Daytona Beach in July.
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Homeowners association boards of
directors owe residents a message about taking action to
protect their safety.
The risks are too serious to ignore, especially after the
tragic death of an 8-year-old boy near DeLand, in Volusia
County, in January.
The death of Michael Millet III has led his parents to file
a wrongful death lawsuit against the Berry’s Ridge
Homeowners Association and Specialty Management Company of
Central Florida, the HOA’s property manager. The couple own
and live in a home in the community where their son Michael
was riding his bicycle on Jan. 13.
According to the complaint, two large and dangerous dogs
from another neighborhood entered the community through the
front gate, which was open and inoperable. The dogs attacked
the boy, and while his mother tried to fight them off and
shield her son, he later died from his injuries.
The lawsuit alleges that the community’s
front gate was broken and ceased functioning long before the
fatal attack, and the HOA and its property manager were
aware because they had received several complaints.
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The unthinkable happened Monday morning. Police say
Doreen Richards Broadbelt was mauled to death by at least one dog
while she was walking to the nearby Walmart where she had worked for
13 years.
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Further, the lawsuit states that both defendants also knew there was an issue
with loose and dangerous dogs entering the community. Their awareness of the
potential perils allegedly stemmed from complaints about aggressive Rottweilers
harassing neighborhood residents, and other loose dogs chasing after children.
There was also an incident in which a jogger was forced to fire gunshots at
“Despite this knowledge of the history of dangerous dogs entering the community,
the Association and Specialty Management did not address or maintain the broken
gate, and chose not to repair the gate, or take any other actions to make the
community secure,” according to the complaint. “As a result, children were not
protected in what was advertised as a safe neighborhood which was ‘gated’ and
‘secure.’”
The parents’ suit seeks to recover damages for the alleged wrongful death of
their son, including for their mental pain and suffering, and medical and
funeral expenses.
While this lawsuit is still ongoing, it illustrates that HOAs and their property
managers can face significant legal liabilities if they are found to have failed
in their obligations to provide a safe community.
The tragedy of the mauling death of Michael Millett III in a community with an
alleged history of incidents involving dangerous dogs should serve as a reminder
for anyone who witnesses or experiences a dog behaving aggressively to file a
complaint with local animal control. Law enforcement and animal control agencies
have the authority to investigate and take action against dog owners, and the
owners of the two dogs involved in this case are now facing felony and
misdemeanor charges.
For HOAs and their property managers, the tragedy and the resulting lawsuit
spotlight the potentially dire consequences of inoperable gates and dangerous
dogs. Such security lapses and perilous animals can lead to horrific outcomes
that can create potentially significant legal and financial liabilities. So it’s
important that communities quickly fix these issues when they arise.
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