How long does the Humane Society of Greater Miami/Adopt-A-Pet keep pets?

Once a dog or cat has been admitted to the Humane Society's adoption center, he will remain at the Humane Society until he finds a home, no matter how long it takes. The Humane Society does not euthanize dogs or cats that are healthy (or treatable) and of good temperament. Before a dog or cat is admitted to the adoption center, they must first pass a health and temperament screening and of course, there must be space available for the animal.

The Humane Society does offer the much-needed service of humane pet euthanasia to the public. If a person has a pet that has been seriously injured, or is terminally ill and his quality of life is seriously compromised, they may bring their pet to be euthanized at the Humane Society. However, we will not euthanize animals with treatable conditions such as heartworm disease, mange, kennel cough or upper respiratory infections.

How is the Humane Society of Greater Miami/Adopt-A-Pet funded?

The Humane Society of Greater Miami/Adopt-A-Pet is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable animal welfare organization supported solely by donations, grants, and fundraising activities. The Humane Society receives no funding from the government, the United Way, or from other animal welfare organizations. We rely on people like you for financial support.

It is a common misperception that the Humane Society receives funding from national animal welfare organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). It is important to know that donations made to these national organizations do not support the animals cared for locally by the Humane Society. Would you like to help us help the homeless pets of Greater Miami? Click here to make a donation.

What is the difference between the Humane Society and Animal Services?

The Humane Society of Greater Miami/Adopt-A-Pet and the Miami-Dade Animal Services Department ("Animal Services") are completely separate organizations. The Humane Society is a private, non-profit charitable animal welfare organization that cares for adoptable pets and provides the public with quality adoption services, low-cost spay/neuter services and extensive humane education programming for citizens of all ages. The Humane Society guarantees a second chance for the animals in its stewardship by caring for them for as long as it takes to find them loving homes.

Animal Services is the government agency in Miami-Dade County that enforces county ordinances pertaining to dogs and cats. Animal Services' main responsibilities are to help prevent and punish animal cruelty, and to protect the public by picking up stray dogs, requiring rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats, and by controlling dangerous dogs. Animal Services has a variety of loving, deserving dogs and cats available for adoption. In addition, they also offer free spay/neuter services for the pets of Miami-Dade County residents. Animal Services, located at 7401 N.W. 74th Street in Miami, is funded by dog license sales, shelter fees, enforcement fines, grants and donations.

I can't keep my pet any longer - what can I do?

Once in a while, due to circumstances beyond their control, a pet owner may become unable to care for their pet. Perhaps they became gravely ill or injured. Perhaps their child developed asthma. Perhaps the owner was having serious, long-term financial problems. It is for situations like these that animal shelters exist-to help care for pets and find them new loving homes if their owner becomes truly unable to care for them.

Fortunately, many people who think they must give up their pet do not have to!
If you love your pet and want to keep him or her, we will do what we can to assist you. If you are giving up your pet for one of the following reasons, STOP! Let us help you keep your pet!

"We're moving"
It is absolutely possible to move across town or to another state while keeping your pet as part of your family. Click here for tips on moving with your pet. Click here for assistance in finding pet-friendly housing.

If the reason why you are giving up your pet is because you have a family emergency or you must go out of town suddenly, ask a friend or family member if they can care for your pet until you are able to return. Also, there are lots of reasonably-priced boarding kennels that can be found in the phone book or on the internet.

"He is not housetrained"
"He is destructive"
"He scratches the furniture"
"He is too hyper"

The Humane Society has a group of professional trainers and staff trained in pet behavior modification. We can assist you in training your pet and work to correct undesirable behaviors exhibited by your dog or cat.
Click here for the Pet Parent Helpline.

"I'm allergic to it"
Contact your physician to learn about some of the many effective pet allergy medications on the market. Click here for tips on pets and allergies.

"We are having a baby"
Unless your physician or veterinarian recommends it, it is not necessary to "get rid of" your dog or cat before or after your baby arrives. Consult you veterinarian for tips on preparing your pet for the new arrival. Click here for additional information. Click here for facts about toxoplasmosis. Did you know that children who grow up with animals have a lesser chance of developing allergies and asthma? It has been proven! Click here for more information!

Finding a responsible home for your pet.
If you ultimately decide that you cannot keep your pet, you have several options. First, do your very best to find him a home yourself. Just as it was your responsibility to feed, train, and care for your pet, it is also your responsibility to find a home for your pet if you can no longer keep him. A "good" home means a home where the animal will live for the rest of his or her life, where he or she will receive attention, veterinary care, proper nutrition, and be treated as part of the family. Finding a good home for a pet may take some time, but it is possible. Here are some tips:

Ask your friends, neighbors, co-workers, family members-anyone you know that loves animals if they would like to have your pet

Make a "resume" for your pet that tells your pet's age, size, breed, personality traits, if it has lived with other animals or kids, etc. Be sure to include a photograph! Post your pet's resume where allowed around your neighborhood, in pet supply stores, grocery stores, laundromats, etc.

If your pet is a pure bred, there may be a breed-specific rescue organization in your area that will accept him and work to find him a new home. Breed-specific rescue groups are usually run by people with in-depth knowledge of a specific breed and they keep adoptable animals until they can be placed in loving, permanent homes. To locate a rescue group that specializes in your pet's breed, contact your local animal shelter, check the classifieds section of the newspaper, or search the Internet. In some cases, breed rescues only work with animal shelters and may not accept pets directly from owners. Be sure to find out as much as you can about the rescue group, and always carefully screen a breed rescue organization before relinquishing your pet. You should make sure the current animal residents appear well-cared-for (pets are spayed/neutered, up to date on vaccines, etc.), that the group screens potential adopters, and that the group offers post-adoption support services. Do not be afraid to ask questions.

Visit the prospective new home in order to get a feel for the environment in which your pet will be living. Explain that the pet is part of your family and that you want to make sure he will be cared for properly and that you want to see how the animal responds to the new home. Screen potential homes carefully. If anyone refuses to allow you to visit their home, do not place your pet with them.

Don't advertise your pet as "free to a good home". Individuals known as "bunchers" routinely answer "free-to-good-home" ads, posing as people who want family pets when, in actuality, they sell pets to research laboratories and puppy mills. Dogfighters have also been known to obtain domestic animals for baiting through "free to good home" ads. These people are "professionals" who may even bring children or their mothers with them when picking up pets. Asking for a small adoption fee will help discourage people with bad intentions. Always be mindful of your own safety when you go to interview potential adopters or if you allow a prospective adopter to enter your home.

Carefully consider all the elements of the new home: Will your pet get along with small children? Is the family planning to keep the dog chained outside as a watch dog? Will the cat be kept only as a mouser? Does the family have a veterinary reference? Do not be shy about asking questions. Your pet's life and happiness may depend on it.

Ask for a valid form of identification (preferably a driver's license). Record the number for your records and require the new owner to sign a contract stating the requirements of adoption upon which both parties agree. As part of the contract, require the new owner to contact you if he or she decides at some point that they must give up the pet.

Have your pet neutered or spayed before he or she goes to the new home. This will make the animal more adoptable and help stop irresponsible breeding.

If You Can't Find a Good Home for Your Pet
The Humane Society has limited space available to accept new pets for adoption. Therefore, it is extremely important that you do your best to find your pet a home yourself. If you have tried all of the above suggestions and you are still unable to find your pet a home, you may call the Humane Society (305-696-0800) to see if we are able to accept him for adoption. All animals must pass a health and temperament test before we accept them, and we have to have space for them.

Another alternative is to take your pet to the Miami-Dade Animal Services Department ("Animal Services"). Animal Services is a completely separate organization from the Humane Society. Animal Services will accept all dogs and cats that are brought to them, and for that reason, they are not able to guarantee adoption for pets. Animal Services' phone number is 305-884-1101. Remember, please do your best to find your pet a home before resorting to relinquishing him to an animal shelter.

Finding a quality home for your pet can be a difficult and time-consuming process. The more time and effort you devote to finding a good home for your pet, the better your chances for finding one. After the love and companionship your pet has provided you with since you have had him, the least you can do is make sure he is going to a loving, responsible, permanent home. Good luck!

"I lost my pet - what can I do?"

Go look for your pet! Don't wait for your pet to return on his own. The sooner you go look, the better your chances of finding him. Check everywhere - especially places where your pet has been before, such as the park. Search your neighborhood during the day AND the evening.

Call Miami-Dade Animal Services Department (305-884-1101) to report your lost pet; ask if he has been picked up and turned in . It is also a good idea to visit Animal Services at least once a week (7401 NW 74th St) to see for yourself if your pet is there. By law, stray or found pets must be held for 5 days in order to give the owner a chance to find them . Also call your local Humane Society and any other local animal shelter to see if he was returned in there.

Continue to visit county run animal welfare organizations as well as local humane societies and rescue groups. You never kno9w when someone will turn in your pet. Dont give up!

Put signs or posters around your neighborhood, at local stores, and veterinarian offices (where allowed). Your signs/posters should be waterproof and large enough to be read from 10 feet away. Be sure to include: Your pet's breed, age, and sex, where your pet was last seen, and your phone number. Include information about a reward if you are able to offer one, and a photo of your pet, if possible.

Let all your neighbors know your pet is missing.

Place a "lost" ad in the newspaper.

Check the "found" ads in the newspaper.

Don't give up! Sometimes people find an animal and decide to keep it. Then, a few weeks later, they change their mind and they take it to an animal shelter or abandon it on the street where they found it. If you love your pet, look hard for at least three months before you stop looking. Remember-if your pet wanders away and doesn't come back, it's because he cannot find his way back! He needs you now more than ever!

"I found a stray dog or cat-what can I do?"

Thank you for helping that lost animal!

If the animal you have found is a dog, take it for walks several times each day in the neighborhood where you found him. Hopefully the owner will see you.

Call the Miami-Dade Animal Services Department (305-884-1101) and the Humane Society (305-696-0800) to report that you have found an animal. Both places keep a registry of lost and found pets.

Bring to a local animal shelter or veterinarian to see if the animal has a microchip. There will not be a fee for this service.

Most major newspapers and community newsletters will place a found ad in the "lost and found" section for free. Also, check the "lost" ads daily.

Place posters in the neighborhood where you found the animal, including veterinarian offices and pet supply stores (where allowed). Leave the content simple: "found-large dog please call 305-555-5555". Let the owner describe their pet to you-then you will know that you are returning it to the rightful owner.

If someone is claiming to be the pets owner, ask for proof of ownership (such as a photograph of the pet).

Check lost and found pet registries on the Web such as www.pets911.com.

I have stray cats roaming all over my neighborhood! What can I do?

Many communities suffer from cat overpopulation problems resulting from irresponsible cat owners that let their unneutered cats roam free. Cats that live outside without the luxury of vet care and shelter typically succumb to illness, parasites, accidents and starvation that drastically cut their lives short. However, most of them live long enough to reproduce several times, producing as many as 20 kittens in one year.

In Miami-Dade County, there is a law that prohibits dogs from roaming free. The Miami-Dade Animal Services Department enforces this law by picking up stray dogs. There is no such law for cats. Therefore, Animal Services does not regularly pick up stray cats.

The Humane Society advocates the 'trap-neuter-return' method as the most humane method of reducing stray cat populations in most communities. Alley Cat Allies, a national nonprofit clearinghouse for information on feral and stray cats, has been educating the public for more than a decade on the trap-neuter-return method. Please click here to go to ACA's highly-informative website.

Where do I get a trap?
You can find a place to rent a trap by looking under 'trap rentals' in your phone book or on the internet.

If I don't want to alter and release a stray cat, where should I take it after I catch it?
If the cat is socialized, try to find it a home yourself. Click here for tips on finding a good home for a pet. If the cat is friendly, appears to be healthy, call the Humane Society (305-696-0800) and we will let you know if we have space available to accept the cat for adoption. Because we do not euthanize healthy animals, we cannot accept all of the animals that are brought to us. All animals must pass a health and temperament screening before they are admitted to our shelter.

Miami-Dade Animal Services Department accepts all dogs and cats that are brought to them, although for this reason, they cannot guarantee adoption.

NEVER abandon a cat (or a dog!) even if you found it as a stray. If you take a cat from its territory and relocate it to a park, a wooded area, or another neighborhood, you are most likely committing that cat to die a slow, painful death from starvation and dehydration. The widespread idea that cats can survive on their own by catching mice, lizards, etc. is simply not true. Cats are domesticated animals, which means that they depend on humans to provide them with food and shelter in order to survive. Dogs and cats that live without the benefits of having an owner will not live long. For this reason, it is illegal to abandon a dog or a cat.

Can I pay someone to trap the cats?
You can find listings for professional trappers in your phone book or on the internet.

This heart-wrenching pet overpopulation problem was caused by irresponsible pet owners allowing their pets to roam free. However, this problem can be solved by responsible pet owners - please make sure that your pets are spayed or neutered, especially if they are allowed to go outside, and encourage everyone you know to do the same.

I would like to adopt a specific size/breed/age of pet.
Can you call me when you get something like that in?

Due to the large number of potential adopters that contact us, we are generally not able to take "special requests". We strongly encourage people looking to adopt a certain type of dog or cat to check our website each day to see the pets we have available (the site is updated each day). Another great resource for finding a specific pet for adoption is www.petfinder.com. On Petfinder, you can enter a description of the pet you are looking for and then search through a database containing hundreds of adoptable pets in your area, including adoptable pets at the Humane Society.