Along a maze of dirt roads in south Miami-Dade, nestled between the vast Everglades and an Air Force Reserve base, a familiar scene unfolds each morning: a man driving his pickup truck, tending to a surprising number of stray and abandoned dogs.
This man is Eddie Alvarez, a retiree who spends his days navigating these backroads, where he feeds and cares for the dogs that emerge from fallow fields, overgrown tangles, and farmlands. Many of these dogs are familiar faces to Alvarez, yet he refrains from naming them.
Through his organization, Eddie’s Dogs, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, he provides food, medical care, and ultimately seeks adoption or foster homes for these homeless animals.
In an interview with NBC 6, Alvarez estimated he feeds about 25 dogs daily—not because that’s all there are, but because he often runs out of food. “I deworm them, give them their shots, booster shots, take care of their flea problems and that sort of thing,” he explained. “I think they’re God’s greatest gift to man.”
These dogs are at risk, with many becoming victims of traffic accidents in what’s grimly known as “Dead Dog Alley.” While their environment resembles a junkyard, most aren’t junkyard dogs; many were abandoned when their owners could no longer afford to care for them. Alvarez noted that following hurricanes, he’s observed a noticeable rise in new arrivals.
Those interested in supporting Alvarez’s compassionate mission can visit his website or Facebook page to donate food and medicine, offer to adopt or foster, or even humanely surrender a dog through Eddie’s Dogs.