DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - With the summer season officially starting on Friday, officials in Miami-Dade are spreading the word to make sure residents keep their pets safe from the heat.
Officials on Friday morning held an event at the Miami-Dade County Animal Services facility in Doral, where they spoke about the importance of protecting your animals through extreme heat, hurricanes and upcoming fireworks in July.
Jimmy Morales, the county’s chief operating officer, also made a plea to residents to consider adopting, as some shelters continue struggling with overcrowding.
“Now is the time to open your hearts and homes, make adoption your only option,” he said. “Even fostering a pet for the summer, just for the summer, can make a big difference, but we hope you’ll end up keeping them forever.”
Some shelters, including several in Broward County, are reporting their shelters are exceeding capacity by 50%.
Some other tips officials mentioned were to never leave your pet inside a parked car, always provide them with access to cold, fresh water and to make sure they have access to shade or a ventilated area.
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