Commissioner Diaz sponsors legislation to help reunite lost dogs with their owners
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY – The Miami-Dade County Commission on Jan. 24 gave final approval to an ordinance sponsored by Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz to help reunite pet owners with their lost dogs.
Under the new legislation, residents who find a lost dog must notify the County’s Animal Services Department and have the dog scanned for a microchip within 72 hours to find out if it’s registered to an owner. If the dog has a registered owner, then the resident must contact the owner within 24 hours. Failure to comply could result in a fine.
The ordinance also calls for the creation of a County-maintained online Lost Dog Registry that would contain pictures and descriptions of the lost animals to facilitate reunification with their owners – whether the dog is being kept at the County’s animal shelter or at the home of the resident who found it.
“A dog is like a member of the family to a lot of people, and this will help pet owners get reunited with their ‘best friend’ by defining the responsibility of those who find lost pets and providing a central database with information about animals that have been picked up by other residents or the County,” Commissioner Diaz said.