Miami

Police Humane Unit Reunites Animals With Their Owners

A South Florida police department goes the extra mile to save our four-legged friends and even wildlife.

The Coral Springs Police Department has its own special Humane Unit caring for all animals.

Filling up cages with abandoned or lost animals is easy. The hard part is getting them back to their owners.

The Coral Springs Unit is one of few in Broward County that tries uniting animals with owners. If that doesn't work, officers take it a step further and contact a rescue group.

"We've had animals come from Miami and end up here in Coral Springs, and they've been missing for years. That brings us joy to reunite them with a family member," said Monica Fedderwitz, CSPD Humane Officer.

NBC 6 hit the road with Officer Fedderwitz to learn wildlife animals are also a priority. One call brought us to a parking lot near University Drive and Wiles Road, where ducks were in distress.

"It's possible she has botulism. They get a lot of diseases and stuff from the water out here. When it rains, we think the poison goes into puddles and they ingest it," Officer Fedderwitz explained.

Two were already dead. Another two were taken back to the office in hopes of being saved. They were washed and cared for, but only one survived.

As for man's best friend, the best chance at survival lies with social media. Pups are posted onto the police department's Facebook page and when owners are not found, it's likely a rescue group is.

The officers are so good at finding somewhere for the animals to go, they only have to drop strays off at Broward County Animal Care once every two months. That's a feat considering the 2,300 animal-related calls they take every month.

Click here to find out how you can help Clear The Shelters on Aug. 15

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