The New Miami Virtual Pet Adoption Program – "Clear the Shelters"
Updated: Sep 15, 2020
Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department (Animal Services) today announced its participation in the annual Clear The SheltersTM pet adoption campaign, which will run from August 1 through August 31.
To help individuals and communities continue to practice social distancing and adhere to COVID-19 safety rules, the month-long “Adopt & Donate” effort will feature virtual pet adoptions and make it easy for people to donate online to the participating shelter or rescue of their choice. During the campaign, adoption fees will be waived, and adopters will only be responsible for their new pet’s registration fee. Adopters will receive Hill’s Science Diet dog food with their adoption, while supplies last.
"The campaign sheds a national spotlight on the needs of our shelter pets waiting for caring families and helps motivate our community to adopt," said Alex Muñoz, Director of Animal Services. "Now is the perfect time to adopt. With so many of us staying safe at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, it gives us time to spend with a new best friend, bonding, training and helping them adapt to their new homes."
Animal Services’ Pet Adoption and Protection Center, located at 3599 NW 79th Avenue, Doral, FL 33122, will continue to be open to the public for in-person adoptions, from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m; closed on Sundays.
To ensure adherence to social distancing rules and for the safety and protection of adopters and staff, on arrival all visitors will be asked to sign in to a virtual waiting room and return to their vehicles to wait to be alerted that their turn is up in the cue. The number of individuals allowed in the shelter at any one time will be strictly controlled, as will the number of customers allowed in each adoption suite. Visitors to the Pet Adoption and Protection Center will be temperature checked before entering the facility. All visitors will also be required to wear masks or face coverings at all times while on the premises.
Since 2015, the "Clear the Shelters" campaign has helped more than 410,000 pets find new homes across the country. This is the sixth consecutive year that NBC and Telemundo-owned stations present their popular pet adoption initiative to communities nationwide. This year’s Clear The Shelters’ “Adopt & Donate” campaign features returning partners WeRescue and GreaterGood.org, and new partner 24PetWatch.
Users can use the WeRescue iOS app to locate adoptable pets near their ZIP code, submit their pet adoption applications through shelters’ websites, and ask questions directly to shelters. Individuals who are interested in donating to a shelter/rescue can visit GreaterGood.org’s Clear The Shelters donation site ClearTheSheltersFund.org.
Also, 24PetWatch is enabling shelters to increase their exposure through 24Petshelter.com/cleartheshelter, a free website providing a full list of participating shelters and their adoptable pets along with a link to contact them.
Follow the effort on Twitter @adoptmiamipets and @ClearTheShelter, and on social media using the hashtags #ClearTheShelters and #DesocuparLosAlbergues.
For more information about NBC and Telemundo stations’ pet adoption campaign, visit CleartheShelters.com. To access information in Spanish, please visit DesocuparlosAlbergues.com and follow #DesocuparlosAlbergues.
For more information about of Miami-Dade County Animal Services Department’s programs serving Miami-Dade County’s pets and pet owners visit www.miamidade.gov/animals or call 311.