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Home ReleasesMiami-Dade County Mayor to celebrate Dog Therapy Appreciation Day by honoring former shelter dogs turned certified therapy dogs

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Flora Beal
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Miami-Dade County Mayor to celebrate Dog Therapy Appreciation Day by honoring former shelter dogs turned certified therapy dogs

Media Advisory department

/global/animals/home.page 2024-04-10 2024-04-10T14:00:00.000Z 10 00 am Flora Beal [email protected] 305-250-8636 Miami-Dade County Mayor to celebrate Dog Therapy Appreciation Day by honoring former shelter dogs turned certified therapy dogs On April 11 at 1 p.m., in celebration of Dog Therapy Appreciation Day, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava will join the Animal Services Department (Animal Services), Miami-Dade Police Department’s (MDPD) Community Oriented Support Therapy Dog Program and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) Crisis Response K9 Program to celebrate and honor shelter alums who serve our community as certified therapy dogs in various functions. On April 11 at 1 p.m., in celebration of Dog Therapy Appreciation Day, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava will join the Animal Services Department (Animal Services), Miami-Dade Police Department’s (MDPD) Community Oriented Support Therapy Dog Program and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) Crisis Response K9 Program to celebrate and honor shelter alums who serve our community as certified therapy dogs in various functions. Dog Therapy Appreciation Day is celebrated every year to show appreciation for the dogs who comfort people as therapy dogs. These dogs complete a stringent testing program before they can be certified. With their certification, the dogs become eligible to visit hospitals and nursing homes.  The elite K-9 officers of MDPD and MDFR serve as good will ambassadors dedicated to providing comfort and spreading joy everywhere they go. These therapy dogs are a testament to the potential of shelter dogs who are adopted and can go on to live a life of service to their communities.     Animal Services will have dogs on-site ready for adoption. All pet adoptions include the first set of age-appropriate vaccines, microchip, deworming, and spay/neuter surgery. The adoption fee for dogs 4 months and older is $65, for puppies is $85, and for cats and kittens is $35. Adoption hours at the Pet Adoption and Protection Center are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.    For more information about programs serving Miami-Dade County’s pets and pet owners at Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department visit www.miamidade.gov/animals, call 311, or follow Animal Services on social media @adoptmiamipets. About Miami-Dade County Animal Services Every year Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (Animal Services) takes in approximately 30,000 to 36,000 lost, abandoned, injured, ill, or abused dogs and cats. Every day, Animal Services staff works diligently to find life-long homes for these abandoned animals by facilitating onsite adoptions, hosting offsite adoptions at events and locations throughout the community, and working collaboratively with rescue organizations, volunteers, and adoption partners. no • Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava • Miami-Dade County Animal Services Director Annette Jose • Miami-Dade Police Department Deputy Director Christopher J. Carothers • Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Health and Safety Division Chief Willie Williams • K9 Amanda with handler Officer Manuel Rodriguez • K9 Sparky with handler Officer Julio Comas • K9 Dottie with handler Officer Natalie Miraya • K9 Evelyn with handler Officer Jody Rodriguez • K9 Somohano with handler Officer Rita Alvarado • K9 Echy from the reserve unit • K9 Bailey with handler Captain Shawn Mcpeek • Members of the MDFR Crisis Response K9 Team Press conference to celebrate Dog Therapy Appreciation Day Stephen P. Clark Government Center - 111 NW 1st Street, Miami FL 33122 04 11 2024 01 00 p.m. 02 00 p.m. Animal Services 1 rel1712755873326810 Animal Services Pet Adoption and Protection Center 3599 NW 79 Avenue Doral 33122 Luis Salgado [email protected] 305-418-7162 local county miami-dade department department Animal ServicesASD Contact Us /global/animals/contact.page About Us /global/animals/about.page /global/publicrecords/search.page Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department Protecting the public's safety, saving animals and finding pets new, loving homes. Our mission is to save the lives of abandoned animals in our care, protect animals from cruelty, reunite lost pets with their owners, protect people and pets in our community from health-related issues and ensure the public's safety. Our goals are accomplished through comprehensive adoptions, transfers, low-cost pet vaccination, dog licensing, increased sterilization for dogs and cats, commercial pet regulations, reuniting lost pets with their owners and trap, neuter, return programs for cats. Aside from our lifesaving mission, we also enforce <a href="https://library.municode.com/fl/miami_-_dade_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIIICOOR_CH5ANFO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chapter 5</a> of the Miami-Dade County Code and Florida Statute 828 (which deals primarily with animal cruelty issues). Our activities include licensing, enforcing rabies vaccination requirements, spay and neuter services, vaccination services for pets, protecting the public from stray and dangerous dogs, promoting animal adoption and public education, and investigating animal cruelty cases. Lifesaving Mission In 2015, Miami-Dade County Animal Services first achieved its lifesaving goal of saving greater than 90 percent of animals entering the shelter. This is a testament to the incredible hard work of the shelter team every day and the addition of new lifesaving programs to include partnerships with rescue organizations, improved pet welfare, foster programs, offsite adoption events, surrender prevention and more. Animal Statistics The Miami-Dade Animal Services Department encourages the public to <a href="https://www.miamidade.gov/global/animals/annual-animal-statistics.page">view our annual animal statistics</a> information, which shows shelter population based on the <a href="https://www.shelteranimalscount.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asilomar Accords</a> and other methods for calculating the number of animal lives that are saved. In August 2004, a group of animal welfare industry leaders from around the nation convened at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, California to build bridges across varying philosophies, develop relationships and establish goals focused on reducing the euthanasia of healthy and treatable companion animals in the United States. The Asilomar Accords established record-keeping and reporting standards for data associated with shelter animals. To help increase life-saving opportunities, Miami-Dade Animal Services has created a variety of new programs aimed at achieving the highest save rates in the history of the department. <ul> <li><a href="https://www.miamidade.gov/global/animals/annual-animal-statistics.page">View annual animal statistics</a></li> </ul> /resources/images/banners/animal-services.jpg Director Annette Jose Annette Jose /global/government/biographies/animals.page Pet Adoption and Protection Center - 3599 NW 79 Avenue [loc146470117318693] : Doral ^ 33122 loc146470117318693 311 /global/animals/home.page facebook twitter instagram <a class="twitter-timeline" href="https://twitter.com/PetsToLove" data-widget-id="730459858286350336" data-chrome="noheader noborders">Tweets by @PetsToLove</a> <script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+"://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script> To request materials in an accessible format, or if you require special accomodations, please contact our ADA Coordinator: Jacob Achinah [email protected] 305-418-7151 animal-services org1450714342984597 loc146470117318693 Pet Adoption and Protection Center 3599 NW 79 Avenue Doral 33122 311 /global/animals/home.page facebook,twitter,instagram https://www.facebook.com/AdoptMiamiPets,https://twitter.com/AdoptMiamiPets,https://www.instagram.com/adoptmiamipets/

MIAMI-DADE ( April 10, 2024 )–

On April 11 at 1 p.m., in celebration of Dog Therapy Appreciation Day, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava will join the Animal Services Department (Animal Services), Miami-Dade Police Department’s (MDPD) Community Oriented Support Therapy Dog Program and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) Crisis Response K9 Program to celebrate and honor shelter alums who serve our community as certified therapy dogs in various functions.

Dog Therapy Appreciation Day is celebrated every year to show appreciation for the dogs who comfort people as therapy dogs. These dogs complete a stringent testing program before they can be certified. With their certification, the dogs become eligible to visit hospitals and nursing homes.

The elite K-9 officers of MDPD and MDFR serve as good will ambassadors dedicated to providing comfort and spreading joy everywhere they go. These therapy dogs are a testament to the potential of shelter dogs who are adopted and can go on to live a life of service to their communities.

Animal Services will have dogs on-site ready for adoption. All pet adoptions include the first set of age-appropriate vaccines, microchip, deworming, and spay/neuter surgery. The adoption fee for dogs 4 months and older is $65, for puppies is $85, and for cats and kittens is $35. Adoption hours at the Pet Adoption and Protection Center are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about programs serving Miami-Dade County’s pets and pet owners at Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department visit www.miamidade.gov/animals, call 311, or follow Animal Services on social media @adoptmiamipets.

About Miami-Dade County Animal Services
Every year Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (Animal Services) takes in approximately 30,000 to 36,000 lost, abandoned, injured, ill, or abused dogs and cats. Every day, Animal Services staff works diligently to find life-long homes for these abandoned animals by facilitating onsite adoptions, hosting offsite adoptions at events and locations throughout the community, and working collaboratively with rescue organizations, volunteers, and adoption partners.

Who:

• Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava • Miami-Dade County Animal Services Director Annette Jose • Miami-Dade Police Department Deputy Director Christopher J. Carothers • Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Health and Safety Division Chief Willie Williams • K9 Amanda with handler Officer Manuel Rodriguez • K9 Sparky with handler Officer Julio Comas • K9 Dottie with handler Officer Natalie Miraya • K9 Evelyn with handler Officer Jody Rodriguez • K9 Somohano with handler Officer Rita Alvarado • K9 Echy from the reserve unit • K9 Bailey with handler Captain Shawn Mcpeek • Members of the MDFR Crisis Response K9 Team

What:

Press conference to celebrate Dog Therapy Appreciation Day

When:

April 11, 2024 — 01:00 p.m. — 02:00 p.m.

Where:

Stephen P. Clark Government Center - 111 NW 1st Street, Miami FL 33122

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Pet Adoption and Protection Center
3599 NW 79 Avenue, Doral, FL 33122