South Florida rescue dogs flown to northeast for adoption

More than 30 dogs from Miami-Dade County Animal Services flew from South Florida to the northeast on Saturday, as part of an effort to improve the likelihood for adoption and make space in the county's overcrowded animal shelters.

Miami-Dade County Animal Services Director Annette Jose said that the planning conversations for this flight began in November, made possible by Friends of Miami Animals Foundation, Inc. and Wings of Rescue.

"We have some senior dogs and some long-stayers, which are always very difficult to get adopted. But the senior dogs are your lap dogs. They're going to sit and watcha football game with you," Jose said. "We used to have a length-of-stay that was about two weeks. We're up to about three to four months now. So, it's really important. Every day that these dogs spend at the shelter is a day that their quality of life is deteriorating, so we're grateful to organizations that help get them out of the shelter."

One such organization is nonprofit Wings of Rescue, which provided the plane for this transport. The California-based charity flies at-risk shelter pets from disaster areas and overcrowded shelters to "safe havens."

Disaster Response Director Maggie McGuane has been with the organization for several years.

"I cry every time we land. When I see animals, pets coming out of overcrowded situations where their odds of finding a home are slim -- they may have to wait for years," she said. "When they get to a place where I know they have a really decent shot at being part of a family quickly, it's immediately emotional for me. It's why I do it."

For McGuane, though, the emotion of this particular flight out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was twofold.

"My uncle is the late singer Jimmy Buffet, and he has, obviously, a deep Florida tie. Our family has deep Florida ties. So, for me, this is the first flight I've done since my uncle passed," she said. "To be in Florida, and flying these animals to safety and to forever homes, it's like -- going to make me cry -- but it's a little bit for my Uncle Jimmy."

Jimmy Buffett's musical and animal-loving legacy has continued to live on, even after his death in September of 2023. Two months later, his team released a music video called "Like My Dog," encouraging pet adoption from animals shelters and rescue organizations nationwide. It featured video of the singer playing with his pets.

"I hope that everybody understands the importance of adoption, and I hope that the people of Miami are really proud of the animals services that are provided to them here," McGuane said. "I've been so impressed, in my time here, by the incredible team that they have working, and the incredible, hard work that they put in."

Upon landing in the northeast, the dogs from Miami-Dade County were met by six partner rescue organizations to then take them to shelters in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York.

"Dogs are breeding in Miami. Dogs living on the streets are breeding year-round," Friends of Miami Animals Foundation Founder Yolanda Berkowitz said. "They also have much better spay/neuter support in the northeast and in other areas. So, they just seem to do a better job. You have to remember, also, that we're geographically a very large and diverse community."

Berkowitz said that addressing South Florida's animal shelter overpopulation issue comes down to education, as well as support for spay and neuter surgeries.

"These partners in the northeast, these partners that we work with, they're really good about balancing their population," she said. "Our shelters really need us all. We need volunteers, we need fosters, we need adopters. I've had a foster in my house for just a few days after he had surgery, and he is a perfect dog. But in a shelter with 600 dogs, it's impossible to see this."

Jose said that the dog population in Miami-Dade County seemed to become particularly problematic during the coronavirus pandemic.

"There was a pause in spay and neuter surgeries. We were focused on human health," she said. "Now, we're really focused on increasing spay and neuter [surgeries] here in Miami-Dade County. We have events on weekends where we're doing free spay and neuter [surgeries] for the community, and really emphasizing the need."

That's why organizers and volunteers continue to encourage local residents to adopt, foster, donate or volunteer their time.

"Take dogs home and give them a chance to decompress," Berkowitz said. "Get to know their personalities."