Stray animals in Miami-Dade County are getting a $14-million new home.
The County Commission approved a plan Monday to buy a warehouse in Doral and transform it into a giant animal services shelter.
The building and land cost about $6.5 million. Up-fitting the facility will run an additional $7 million.
“Of course we're thrilled,” said Animal Services Director Dr. Sara Pizano. “We've been waiting a long time, as has our community.”
The current animal services shelter, just off the Palmetto Expressway in Medley, was built as a veterinary clinic in 1969 and is terribly outdated.
But the problems at the small facility were illustrated last month, when an infectious disease ran rampant among the dogs.
The Distemper virus, which is highly contagious among dogs, is incurable.
Last week, dozens of people flocked to the shelter to adopt animals. Clean-up crews then scrubbed the entire facility, to rid it of the virus. It re-opened Monday as commissioners were talking about a new animal house.
Overcrowding and poor ventilation are, in part, how Distemper is passed from one dog to another.
Animal advocates, like Carol Johnson, are hoping the bigger, newer facility will be a healthier place for South Florida's strays.
“I think we can avoid incidents like we've had in the past few weeks by having a shelter where we can isolate animals and accommodate more animals,” she said.
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Details are still being worked out for the new facility in Doral. Once construction starts it will take 18 months to complete.
