Top Spots To Adopt A Pet In Miami
Everyone falls victim to puppy love and kitty cuteness from time to time, but only on rare occasions do potential pet owners succumb and commit to a furry forever family. When it's time to do it, to find your family's next fur baby, it's time to adopt. Finding the right agency doesn't have to be a hard-fought search; these are Miami's best pet adoption options, full of furry fellas ripe for the pickin'.
Humane Society of Greater Miami
Soffer and Fine Adoption Center
16101 W. Dixie Highway
North Miami Beach, FL 33160
(305) 696-0800
www.humanesocietymiami.org
Price: $195 for puppies less than 6 months old/$165 for puppies six months old and older/$75 for kittens less than 6 months old/$55 for kittens six months old and older
Hours: Mon – closed; Tues to Sun – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Humane Society is a well-known household name for a reason. For one, you can adopt a puppy or kitten for a nominal fee that includes vaccinations, spay or neuter, a microchip and a bag of dog food. Puppies also get a dog tag included in the price. The only requirement to adopt these cuddly creatures is a valid I.D. and a copy of your rental lease, if you are a renter.
Miami-Dade County Animal Services
7401 N.W. 74th St.
Miami, FL 33166
(305) 884-1101
www.miamidade.gov
Price: $75 for puppies under 4 months/$35 for kittens
Hours: Mon to Fri – 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Sat to Sun – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Miami-Dade County Animal Services is home to myriad abandoned and homeless animals. Unlike the Humane Society, these loveable creatures face the possibility of euthanasia. That's why this is the perfect place to adopt a puppy or a kitten. Your adoption fee includes vaccinations, a microchip, a tag for puppies and that warm fuzzy feeling that comes with saving a life. Potential owners must bring a valid I.D. and proof of residence.
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Friends Forever Rescue
P.O. Box 163455
Miami, FL 33116
(786) 229-9002
www.friendsforeverrescue.com
Price: from $250
Hours: Sat – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m at Petsmart; Sun – 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Petco
Friends Forever Rescue specializes in adopting dogs. All of its dogs are rescues, and it hosts a virtual shelter that allows you to find the perfect pet online, or go to PetSmart on Saturday and Petco on Sunday to see the puppies in person. If you're looking for kittens, it also has a limited selection of felines. Adoption requirements include mailing or faxing an application from its website, and paying an adoption fee in cash or check only. All pets are spayed or neutered.
Dalmatian Rescue, Inc. and Pets at Risk Rescue
P.O. Box 640108
North Miami Beach, FL 33164
(305) 940-3320
www.dalmationrescue.com
Price: $200
Pets at Risk Rescue, like many pet adoption agencies, does not have a physical address. Its adoptees are taken care of through a network of foster care volunteers. Potential owners need only go to its website to view the dogs up for adoption. Complete an application its website, fax vaccination records of your current pets, submit to a home visit, pay a fee, and sign the adoption agreement. The fee includes vaccinations, spay or neuter, and your pet will already be house trained. Cat and dog breeds in addition to dalmatians are available through the Pets at Risk Rescue program under Dalmatian Rescue Inc.
The Cat Network
P.O. Box 347228
Miami, FL 33234
(305) 255-3482
www.thecatnetwork.org
Price: $75 for cats without microchips/$85 for cats without microchips/$75 to $250 for purebred cats
The Cat Network is an ASPCA-affiliated company that also utilizes a network of volunteers and foster homes instead of housing cats in a shelter. You can choose from an array of cats and kittens online knowing this organization works hard to save cats through non-lethal population control, such as sterilization, instead of euthanasia. Your adoption fee includes deworming, vaccinations and spay/neuter. Find the adoption application on its website and rescue one of more than 7,000 cats adopted through the group since 1995. Click here for its adoptable dogs as well.
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Niema Hulin was born in Newark, NJ but raised in Lexington, South Carolina for the bulk of her formative years. In 2002, she moved to Miami after graduating from the University of Florida. Since then, Niema has worked in film, television and commercials as a Production Assistant and Production Coordinator. Some of her films have included Bad Boys II and I Am Number IV. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.
