We're starting this fundraiser in support of my girlfriend, Ashley Perez, who was attacked and severely injured by a stranger's loose dogs in the Biscayne Gardens area of Miami, Florida. In the past few days, the attack has been extensively reported on by various South Florida news outlets. Her and I are not financially well-off to begin with, and we do not have a strong enough support system to keep us afloat during this crisis. She has been left with incredible physical and mental trauma caused by the negligent actions of a cruel and irresponsible dog owner.

We made the decision to launch this fundraiser to help us pay the many costs of this tragedy. Ashley's hospital bill is quickly becoming insurmountable, and I have had to completely stop working my food service job to stay by her side and care for her after the attack, which has left her unable to move without assistance. Simply put, Ashley, myself, and our three cats now need whatever help we can get to survive. Food, housing, transportation- they have now all become uncertainties. The story is as follows:

On the evening of September 17th, my girlfriend went on a short twenty-minute stroll in our neighborhood for her mental wellness, only for her life to be upended then and there. Not ten minutes into the walk and only six streets away from home, she suddenly and without warning found herself cornered and attacked by four aggressive, unleashed, and unsupervised dogs belonging to a nearby homeowner. All four dogs escaped through a wide-open fence gate and simultaneously attacked her before she had time to react to the situation. The pack of dogs latched onto each of her limbs and brought her to the ground, where they continued their vicious attack.

Upon hearing her screams and pleas for help, some of our neighbors on that street, one of them an off-duty first responder, came to her aid. They worked together to scare the dogs away, and then formed a human barrier around her for protection. EMS were called while the neighbors kept Ashley stable at the scene.

When Miami-Dade Fire Rescue arrived to transport Ashley to receive emergency care, two Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the attack by attempting to secure the loose dogs in their yard. The dogs proceeded to attack the officers, which forced them to fire shots at the dogs in self-defense. None of the dogs were injured by the gunfire, and all four of them escaped and scattered in different directions around the neighborhood. As of right now, three of the four dogs have been captured by Miami-Dade Animal Services.

Ashley was transported to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial in Miami in critical condition, where she had to receive emergency surgery. She suffered deep, extensive punctures and lacerations from dog bites in both of her arms and legs. She is currently unable to move due to additional bruising and swelling compounding the effects of her injuries. Understandably, she is also in acute psychological distress, experiencing flashbacks and panic attacks post-trauma. She has not been able to sleep nor achieve any meaningful rest, and remains hospitalized for the time being.

The residents of NW 11th Ct, the street where the incident occurred, made it known to journalists that the dogs in question had been a major safety issue; some say for a few months, others for over a year, the dogs often escaping the low effort confines of their home's front yard fence to roam the vicinity unsupervised. The residents recalled their months and months of pleas to the dogs' owner, begging her to contain and secure the aggressive, unfixed animals, who by then had become notorious for escaping their property to terrorize the neighborhood residents.

Ashley's multiple overnight stays at the hospital and the anguish of the attack's aftermath have left us changed forever. In order for us to try and rebuild, we started this fundraiser with the assistance of our friend Jocelyn to help us receive the medical, legal, and logistical support that we desperately need.

Ashley is a vibrant, loving, and kind person. The sweetest soul I've ever met. Her life has been altered forever simply because she took a walk in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite that, she is trying with all she has to remain strong. She deserves to focus on her physical and mental recovery without the overwhelming financial stress. Please consider donating to support us as she fights to regain her well-being. Any donation, no matter how big or small, means more to us than you could imagine. And if monetary donation isn't possible, sharing this campaign is just as much appreciated.