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RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING THE GOLDEN PAWS PROGRAM; DIRECTING THE COUNTY MAYOR OR COUNTY MAYOR�S DESIGNEE TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM IN ACCORDANCE WITH CERTAIN CRITERIA AND TO PROVIDE A REPORT

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WHEREAS, seniors are an important and valuable part of the community in Miami-Dade County; and
WHEREAS, like other residents of Miami-Dade County, seniors may benefit from the companionship of pets; and
WHEREAS, given that many seniors are retired or no longer have children living in their households, seniors may also be especially well-positioned to take care of and provide a good quality of life for pets; and
WHEREAS, one of the primary objectives of the Miami-Dade Animal Services Department is to facilitate the adoption of pets at the County�s Pet Adoption and Protection Center; and
WHEREAS, due to a variety of factors, the Pet Adoption and Protection Center has been having issues with overcapacity of dogs and cats in its custody; and
WHEREAS, the Animal Services Department has thus been actively seeking and creating opportunities to adopt pets in its custody to forever homes; and
WHEREAS, this Board wishes to assist in that effort by creating a program designed to promote the adoption of pets to seniors in our community, known as the Golden Paws Program,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that:
Section 1. This Board establishes the Golden Paws Program.
Section 2. The County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall implement the Golden Paws Program (the �Program�) in accordance with the following criteria:
* Participants in the Program shall be residents of Miami-Dade County 65 years of age or older who have provided sufficient proof of age and residency;
* To qualify for the Program benefits set forth below, participants must adopt a dog or cat from the County�s Animal Services Department;
* Participants shall be entitled to a waiver of adoption fees and spay/neuter fees, as authorized by Implementing Order No. 4-51 for promotional/marketing events;
* The Program shall provide participants assistance in obtaining pet food, the nature and amount of such assistance to be determined in the sole discretion of the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee, and which pet food the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee must obtain in accordance with applicable law; it is further provided that this resolution shall not require the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to purchase pet food for this program and that the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee may use such pet food as is available and has been obtained in accordance with applicable law;
* The Program shall provide support services for participants who have pets but are struggling to care for them, the nature and amount of such services to be determined in the sole discretion of the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee, provided, however, that the dollar value of services provided to a pet under the Program shall not exceed $500.00 per pet;
* The County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall, in accordance with applicable law and existing delegated authority, establish partnerships with veterinary clinics, not-for-profit organizations, and businesses to help defray the costs of administering the Program;
* The County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall also engage in fundraising activities to support the Program; and
* The County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee is delegated the authority to establish further criteria for the Program, provided such criteria are consistent with this resolution.
Section 3. This Board directs the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee to identify and allocate legally available funds in the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 adopted County budget sufficient to fund Program activities for the balance of the fiscal year. This Board further directs the County Mayor to include funding for full implementation of the Program in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 proposed County budget and in all subsequent budgets.
Section 4. The County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall prepare a written report summarizing: (a) the efforts the County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee has taken to comply with the directive in section 2 of this resolution; and (b) the results of the Program as of the date of the report. The County Mayor or County Mayor�s designee shall provide the report to this Board within 180 days of the effective date of this resolution and place the completed report on an agenda of the full Board without committee review pursuant to rule 5.06(j) of the Board�s Rules of Procedure.