388 dogs were fostered ❤️
Preparing for Hurricane Milton
When Hurricane Milton was about to hit Florida, animal shelters across the state worried about how the dangerous storm would affect their cats and dogs. Many shelters had no choice but to evacuate animals from their facilities.
An Urgent Call for Help
One such shelter, Miami-Dade Animal Services, knew they were going to need a lot of help evacuating all of their dogs. A few days before the storm was set to hit, they posted an urgent call on their Instagram.
“With the tropical storm approaching, we are taking all precautions to keep our shelter dogs safe,” Miami-Dade Animal Services wrote. “We are urgently in need of fosters… If you are able to open your home and keep our shelter pets safe from flooding, please reach out to us.”
Community Response
People wasted no time showing up to support the dogs in need. Even as they were preparing for the storm themselves, these foster families went out of their way to make the dogs feel comfortable in a scary situation.
A Heartwarming Foster Experience
Miami resident Mari Gvozdeva took in a foster dog named Scout. As soon as she and Scout got home, she gave him a nice bath, played with him, and provided a comfy place for him to sleep. In no time at all, Scout was settled right in.
Overwhelming Support
As word spread about the dogs needing foster homes, more people began flocking to Miami-Dade Animal Services. Just two days after their initial call for help, there was a line out the door with hundreds of people ready to take in dogs.
The shelter was floored by the response. “We’re overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible support from our community,” they said.
All Dogs Safe
Within days, each and every dog at the shelter — all 388 of them — were with foster families. As Hurricane Milton passed over Miami, the dogs were safe and sound in loving homes.
Happy Endings After the Storm
Many of the dogs’ foster families have been posting videos showcasing the amazing pups they got to spend a few days with, hoping to help them find forever homes. If any of the dogs have caught your eye, you can check out the Miami-Dade Animal Services adoption page.
Already, several of these posts have led to dogs getting adopted. It’s wonderful that so many happy endings have come from something as stressful as a hurricane.