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Home ReleasesMiami-Dade County Mayor to honor former shelter dogs for Dog Therapy Appreciation Day

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Gabriella Dominguez
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Miami-Dade County Mayor to honor former shelter dogs for Dog Therapy Appreciation Day

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/global/animals/home.page 2025-04-08 2025-04-08T19:00:00.000Z 03 00 pm Gabriella Dominguez [email protected] 305-418-7194 Miami-Dade County Mayor to honor former shelter dogs for Dog Therapy Appreciation Day In recognition of Dog Therapy Appreciation Day, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava will join Miami-Dade Animal Services, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) Community Oriented Support Therapy Dog Program, and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s (MDFR) Crisis Response K9 Program to celebrate shelter dogs who have found a second chance—and a new purpose—as certified therapy dogs. In recognition of Dog Therapy Appreciation Day, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava will join Miami-Dade Animal Services, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) Community Oriented Support Therapy Dog Program, and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s (MDFR) Crisis Response K9 Program to celebrate shelter dogs who have found a second chance—and a new purpose—as certified therapy dogs. The event will take place on April 11th at 9:30 a.m. Each year, Dog Therapy Appreciation Day highlights therapy dogs' profound impact on people’s lives. These remarkable canines undergo specialized training to earn their certification, allowing them to provide emotional support in hospitals, nursing homes, and crises. The therapy dogs of MDSO and MDFR exemplify the resilience, intelligence, and compassion of former shelter pets, proving that adoption can change lives in more ways than one. To encourage more happy endings like these, Animal Services will have adoptable pets available on-site. Adoption fees include vaccinations, microchipping, deworming, and spay/neuter surgery. The Pet Adoption and Protection Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about Miami-Dade County Animal Services and how to adopt, visit www.miamidade.gov/animals, call 311, or follow @adoptmiamipets on social media. no • Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava • Miami-Dade County Animal Services, Director, Annette Jose • Miami-Dade Sheriff, Rosie Cordero-Stutz • Miami-Dade Assistant Sherriff, Shawn Browne • Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Health and Safety Division, Chief, Willie Williams • K9 Dottie with handler MDSO Deputy Natalie Miraya • K9 Joey with handler MDSO Deputy Hector Rosello • K9 Legacy with handler MDFR Captain Shawn Campana • K9 Zoey with handler MDFR Joshua Holm • Members of the MDFR Crisis Response K9 Team Press conference to celebrate Dog Therapy Appreciation Day Miami-Dade County Animal Services, 3599 NW 79TH AVE Doral, FL 33122 04 11 2025 09 30 a.m. 10 00 a.m. Animal Services 1 rel1744136560618590 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 08, 2025 )–

In recognition of Dog Therapy Appreciation Day, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava will join Miami-Dade Animal Services, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO) Community Oriented Support Therapy Dog Program, and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s (MDFR) Crisis Response K9 Program to celebrate shelter dogs who have found a second chance—and a new purpose—as certified therapy dogs. The event will take place on April 11th at 9:30 a.m.

Each year, Dog Therapy Appreciation Day highlights therapy dogs' profound impact on people’s lives. These remarkable canines undergo specialized training to earn their certification, allowing them to provide emotional support in hospitals, nursing homes, and crises. The therapy dogs of MDSO and MDFR exemplify the resilience, intelligence, and compassion of former shelter pets, proving that adoption can change lives in more ways than one.

To encourage more happy endings like these, Animal Services will have adoptable pets available on-site. Adoption fees include vaccinations, microchipping, deworming, and spay/neuter surgery. The Pet Adoption and Protection Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information about Miami-Dade County Animal Services and how to adopt, visit www.miamidade.gov/animals, call 311, or follow @adoptmiamipets on social media.

Who:

• Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava
• Miami-Dade County Animal Services, Director, Annette Jose
• Miami-Dade Sheriff, Rosie Cordero-Stutz
• Miami-Dade Assistant Sherriff, Shawn Browne
• Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, Health and Safety Division, Chief, Willie Williams
• K9 Dottie with handler MDSO Deputy Natalie Miraya
• K9 Joey with handler MDSO Deputy Hector Rosello
• K9 Legacy with handler MDFR Captain Shawn Campana
• K9 Zoey with handler MDFR Joshua Holm
• Members of the MDFR Crisis Response K9 Team

What:

Press conference to celebrate Dog Therapy Appreciation Day

When:

April 11, 2025 — 09:30 a.m. — 10:00 a.m.

Where:

Miami-Dade County Animal Services, 3599 NW 79TH AVE Doral, FL 33122

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