Miami-Dade Animal Services help pet owners get ready for hurricane season
In a matter of months, Claudia Martinez went from having no pets in her Little Havana home to having four kittens.
So when Miami-Dade Animal Services offered help to get ready for the upcoming hurricane season, Martinez jumped at the chance.
“They are part of our family,” said Martinez, who has twin 11-year-old daughters and a 2-year-old daughter. “They become your kids.”
On Saturday, Martinez, 34, loaded up her kittens — Ony, Elis, April and Milly — in carriers and headed to Douglass Park in Coconut Grove. That’s where Miami-Dade Animals Services had set up shop to offer free microchips, vaccines and supplies for pet owners.
The event is part of a series across South Florida to give pet owners financially affected by COVID-19 a head start in planning for the upcoming hurricane season, which begins June 1. Pet owners are urged to have plan in place for their furry family members.
“We want the people who are most in need to receive the services,” said Ruben Arce, the program coordinator for Miami-Dade Animal Services. “The need is still there.
Throughout the pandemic, animal services has provided pet owners with food and other help by securing grants and othe funding. So far, the department has given over 250,000 pounds of food to more than 6,000 people.
The free services and hurricane kits — which include blanket, toys and bowls — are being funded through a $50,000 PetSmart Charities grant.
Arce said about 60 people showed up for Saturday’s event. There are three more events scheduled over the next month at locations including the Little Haiti Cultural Center.
“It’s important that we include pets in our emergency planning and make sure their wellness needs are up-to-date before a storm,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a news release. “Thanks to PetSmart Charities we can provide additional assistance to residents impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and help keep all our pets healthy.”
For Martinez, who lost her job as a cashier at a restaurant, the help is much appreciated.
She said the cats have definitely “have been a blessing” for her children, two of whom have autism.
The pandemic has been hard on all of them, and she said the kittens have had a calming affect.
Being ahead of the game with hurricane supplies for the kittens is a relief.
“It’s not something you should wait until the last minute to do,” she said.
Here’s a look at the upcoming events:
▪ From 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 15 at Miami’s Juan Pablo Duarte Park, 2800 NW 17th Ave.
▪ From 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 22 at Little Haiti Cultural Center, 212 NE 59th Terrace
What you need: Documented proof of financial hardship — proof of unemployment benefits, rental assistance, etc. — must be shown to receive services.
To register: Those who need services for their pet including micro-chipping, must make an appointment by calling 311.
For more information visit www.miamidade.gov/animals.
Hurricane preparedness for pets
Here are some tips from Miami-Dade Animal Services:
▪ Have two weeks worth of food and medicines ready, as you would for yourself
▪ If evacuating, try to stay together and find a shelter or hotel that takes animals
▪ Make sure you have a carrier or kennel handy
▪ Try to keep calm, hurricanes can be just as stressful on animals as it is for humans
This story was originally published April 9, 2021 at 3:58 PM.
