Miami-Dade Animal Services is asking the public to provide foster homes and temporary volunteer homes to assist reduce the overpopulation at its shelters.
With too many animals and not enough room, the institution is in crisis mode and is hoping that animal lovers will hear its message.
“This is a challenge and it’s a challenge that requires so many people to cooperate and collaborate,” the director for Miami-Dade Animal Services, Annette Jose stated. “We’ve been over capacity for over two years.”
Miami-Dade uses its own facility in Medley as overflow because it has 550 canines and only has room for 350. However, the majority of the dogs are housed in kennels that are divided by opaque dividers.
Even though it’s only a temporary refuge with foster homes and volunteers, Jose hopes more people will open their doors.
“Teachers are home for the summer, kids are back from college. Come and take a dog for the summer, let him spend some time in a nice, cool home and maybe get adopted,” Jose stated.
According to her, foster parents and volunteers are not even need to commit to housing them for a number of months. It can benefit the shelter if they commit to a weekend or simply take one of their pets for a walk.
“You can take them to the park, to Starbucks, to the beach, but while you’re doing that, they’re wearing an ‘adopt me’ vest,” Jose stated. “We are removing every barrier there is to taking a dog out of the shelter.”
Although it’s still a long way off, Miami-Dade Animal Services currently offers affordable spay and neuter services as well as vaccinations to help lower the number of possibly homeless animals.
Logan, a dog who has been in the shelter for a year and a half, is one of the animals residing there. He needs eyedrops every day, but according to shelter authorities, he gets along well with other dogs and is simply trying to find a home.
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Broward County Animal Care and Miami-Dade Animal Services are also looking for ways to relieve the strain on their congested shelters.
“This is not a place where a pet should be living. They should be living in a home. The shelter isn’t a good place for a pet, it should be the last resort,” Jose stated.
Click here to learn more about volunteering or adopting a pet.
