Weekend Of Waived Adoption Fees At Maxed Out Animal Shelter
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Dozens of dogs have lost their lives and more are scheduled to be put down due to overcrowding at the Miami-Dade Animal Services Shelter in Medley.
Shelter administrators sent out an urgent email to rescue groups on Thursday in a last ditch effort to try and save nearly 30 dogs on the euthanasia list. As of Friday afternoon, 20 of those were killed. In an attempt to get the remaining animals adopted out before being killed the shelter is offering free adoptions this weekend for adult dogs, and half off for puppies.
The waived adoption fee offer, for pets over four months of age, is valid from Friday July 26 until Sunday, July 28. All dogs less than four months can be adopted at half-the-price of the usual adoption fee.
"There are hundreds of wonderful pets in urgent need of a forever home. By choosing to adopt a shelter pet you are saving a life," said Kathy Labrada, Chief of Shelter Operations and Enforcement.
This week more than 100 dogs were put down, which is half the number killed last year at this time. Still, only around one-third of the 37,000 animals that are taken in to the pound make it out alive.
"As long as dogs do go to euthanasia were not doing enough," said Labrada.
Earlier this month county commissioners approved a $19 million dollar no-kill shelter program after voters overwhelmingly supported taxing themselves to pay for it. A few weeks later, commissioners voted against an increase in property taxes needed to fund the no-kill shelter.
"We are going to try to accommodate what the wishes of the people of Miami-Dade County were without raising their taxes," said Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
Mayor Gimenez says he plans to find $4 million dollars in the budget to fund a scaled down version of the no-kill plan next year. Commissioners will vote on that funding in September.
"The plan to become a no-kill will move forward regardless, there are many other areas throughout the country that have achieved no-kill status without any additional funding," said Labrada."We are pleading with the community to come forward to come out and adopt."
A new animal services shelter with more space is still currently being built in Doral, it is expected to be completed in December of 2015.
