With its animal shelter overcrowded, Miami-Dade needs Pets’ Trust more than ever | Opinion
Up until 2012, and decades before, the Miami-Dade Animal Shelter took in all the animals that were turned in there. An average of 100 a day were coming in, being surrendered or found on the streets. The shelter was always full, and since there was limited room, public policy at that time was to kill for space.
The county killed an average of 20,000 healthy pets a year. In the 1970s, the number was far higher because commissioners were asked for permission to create a gas chamber to kill the dogs and cats — because it would take shelter staff too long to kill them one at a time. Meaning, we couldn’t kill them fast enough!
The Pets’ Trust, created after seeing the bad practices of the past, took on coming up with ideas to solve these problems, seeking dedicated funding to carry out the programs needed.
The idea was that our animals are a community issue, affecting all of us. As a result, county voters were asked in a straw poll if they would pay to establish services to help stop the killing by creating a proactive, high-volume spay/neuter program, along with other life-saving initiatives.
The community responded with a resounding Yes. In fact, 65% (500,000) of those who voted voters said “yes” to a slightly higher property tax for our animals to pay for these programs.
That vote was never implemented. Your vote was not honored, and the problem has not gone away. In fact, it’s gotten far worse.
The shelter is closed for new admissions of most cases now. As those 100 animals continue to come in everyday, the question is, Where do they go? Back to the streets?
Everything that the Pets’ Trust proposed eight years ago is needed today. The people voted for it. If compassion for animals doesn’t move you, perhaps so much misspent money might make you think.
There has been more than $100 million in extra funds budgeted to Animal Services these past eight years, with adoption numbers and intake numbers the same or worse, and limited improvement on the spay/neuter programs. And with all that, the shelter has to close or limit admissions.
This time, however, at least Animal Services and its new director are honest about the severity of the situation — no more hiding it.
It’s time for the Pets’ Trust to be implemented — now.
Michael Rosenberg is president and co-founder of the Pets’ Trust.
