BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A pit bull named Hercules has attacked multiple people and pets over the past year, yet authorities have struggled to designate the dog as dangerous, raising concerns about public safety.
Jodi Balom says she and her dog, Casper, suffered severe injuries when Hercules attacked them.
“Hercules came across the yard, jumped my dog, grabbed him by the neck, put him down on the ground,” Balom said.
She tried to intervene, but the dog turned on her.
“I go up to try to retrieve my dog from Hercules’s mouth, and that’s when Hercules grabs a hold of my right arm,” Balom said. “He bit this whole entire part of my arm.”
Balom was rushed to Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, where she was asked if the dog was up to date on its rabies vaccination.
The answer was no.
“It hurt so bad, I screamed so loud in the hospital, it was worse than giving birth to my child,” she said.
“At what point do we deem a dog dangerous?” asked James Balom, Jodi Balom’s husband.
Balom underwent a full rabies exposure treatment and spent the next year recovering.
She came forward after seeing Local 10 News’ report about another attack involving Hercules, in which the dog mauled a Yorkie named Joffer and injured his dog walker, Donna Wilson.
“I kind of grabbed him out of the dog’s mouth and I kind of held him,” Wilson told Local 10 News nearly two weeks ago. “I tried to hold him up in the air. At that point, I was screaming, ‘No, no, no, get away, no, no!’”
A history of attacks
Local 10 News provided Broward County Animal Care with a police report detailing another incident involving Hercules.
“We have just been made aware of another attack from Hercules, so we were going to be opening up another dangerous animal investigation against him,” said Philip Goen, an official with the department.
Records show that on July 10, Hercules attacked a Yorkie named Cash, who had to be euthanized. A month later, the dog attacked a Shih Tzu named Adonis. Authorities determined there was still not enough evidence to designate Hercules as dangerous.
Then, on Jan. 25, authorities said Joffer and Wilson were attacked.
“You’ve got two humans that are attacked, and you’ve got three dogs that are attacked, and now this dog is still out there to attack again until we go to court,” Local 10 News Animal Advocate Jacey Birch said.
“That’s where we’re at,” Goen replied.
Eyewitness testimony is a key factor in dangerous dog cases, Goen said, but many victims decline to testify.
“In this situation, Hercules and (his owner, Wilford Morris) met all of that criteria, but the elements that were missing were the witnesses,” he said.
Owner faces fines but keeps dog
Local 10 News reached out to Morris for comment.
“My dog has been cleared of a lot of charges and I’m in the process of adopting him anyway,” Morris said in a phone call before hanging up. “I’m sick I’m barely working.”
When reporters went to his home for further comment, Morris declined to speak.
Records show he has been issued multiple citations:
- Failure to provide proof of current rabies vaccine: $312.50
- Failure to provide proof of Broward County registration: $312.50
- Unmuzzled animal: $512.50
- Bite to another animal while at large: $512.50
- Attack on a person while at large: $512.50
The latest violations add to previous fines, bringing the total to more than $3,000. None have been paid or disputed.
Despite multiple attacks and a second dangerous dog investigation, Hercules remains at home with his owner and he has not received any rabies vaccination as of Monday evening.
“Something needs to be done,” Jodi Balom said. “Whether it’s with Animal Control or with Mr. Morris, they both are responsible for this.”
What happens next?
If Hercules is officially deemed a dangerous dog, Morris can still keep him, but he would have to comply with strict regulations.
Hercules would need to be registered as a dangerous dog at a higher cost, remain restrained and muzzled at all times, and be sterilized and microchipped. Morris’ property would also be subject to unannounced inspections.
Euthanasia would only be considered if Hercules attacks again after receiving the dangerous dog designation.
Meanwhile, Joffer’s owner has launched a GoFundMe campaign for anyone who would like to contribute toward his surgery. Click here for details.
