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Adoption Fees Waived This Weekend At Overcrowded Shelter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - In the recent summer months, the number of abandoned pets has spiked so high, that the Miami-Dade County animal shelter has waived adoption fees for the weekend in hopes of preventing pets from euthanization.

The offer, which started Friday, is offered at the Miami-Dade County Animal Services Shelter in Medley and will end Sunday, July 28th.

"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.

Anyone seeking to adopt a dog over four months old will be waived the usual adoption fee. For dogs under four months, the fee is half priced.

Dozens of dogs have lost their lives and more are scheduled to be put down due to overcrowding.

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.

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.

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