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Kendall Man Spends Weekend In Cage For A Cause

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Kendall businessman hopes a weekend publicity will raise awareness and garner a few more 'yes' votes for a measure on the November 6th ballot which would save more animals at the county's Animal Services from being put to death.

Pets Trust Miami founder Michael Rosenburg, 60, spent the weekend in a 4 foot by 10 foot dog cage at the county's animal facility in Medley.

"At night it is very strange here," said Rosenburg. "All the dogs, by 12:30 or 1 a.m. start settling down and going to sleep. But every once in a while you get that sharp bark that wakes you up, so I haven't slept very well."

Rosenburg is trying to drum up support for item #240. It's a non-binding ballot question to gauge public support for taxing property owners a little bit more in exchange for bringing down the county's euthanasia rate which would help to move them toward meeting their "no kill" goal of saving 90 percent of the animals in the shelter.

Rosenburg said when the dogs are ushered from their cages, their not sure where they are headed.

"The have no idea that in five or six days their time is up. They don't know if they are walking to the room where they are killed, or they are going to a car to go home with someone. They don't know," said Rosenburg who adds that he's received a lot of support, even from one Miami superstar.

"Gloria Estefan has said she'll adopt me, so I have a way out<" said Rosenburg.

The question on the ballot asks voters if they support the idea of having property owners pay an extra $10 per $100,000 of taxable value to keep from euthanizing about 20,000 cats and dogs annually.

Rosenburg said there more than 60 adoptions on Saturday which was pretty good, but not good enough.

"Even if they emptied the whole place, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday they would still be bringing in a hundred new ones every day. It never ends, we have to fix this," said Rosenburg.

The result of the November ballot wouldn't actually establish the Trust if it was more voters approved the measure. It will, however, let county commissioners know that residents favore the measure. It would then be up to them to approve it.

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