NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. \u2014 For the first time ever, Local 10 Animal Advocate Jacey Birch visited all four of our local shelters in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to find out what causes some dogs to linger so much longer than others in a shelter setting.<\/p>\n
Why are some adopted quickly while others get stuck in a kennel for years? <\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of our long-timers are usually our large breed dogs, especially seniors and our pittie-mixes,\u201d said Tiffany Hernandez with the Humane Society of Greater Miami.<\/p>\n
Most adopters are looking for small dogs and puppies and certain breeds get a bad rap.<\/p>\n
Mike is a dog who has lived at the Humane Society of Greater Miami for too long, two years too long!<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen a dog stays here for a very long time, after a couple months or even years, they start declining in mental health,\u201d said Hernandez. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s no different at Miami-Dade Animal Services in Doral, where 4-year-old Terrier mix Nance has been there more than 800 days and Keanu, a 3-year-old bulldog mix, is closing in on 700 days. <\/p>\n
Both are high-energy and love their toys but they definitely need to be top dog. <\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of our longest residents have to be the only pet in the household because they may have some sort of reactivity with other pets,\u201d said Gabriella Dominguez with Miami-Dade Animal Services.<\/p>\n
Big dogs get passed over frequently in urban Miami due to apartment and condo-style living.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, people think that a large dog means I need a large yard, and that\u2019s not the case at all,\u201d said Dominguez. \u201cThere\u2019s plenty of pets here that are very large that would adapt very well to being in a tiny apartment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The problems persist as Birch went north to the Humane Society of Broward County.<\/p>\n
The shelter life takes a toll on the natural personalities of the pets, making them timid and shy or loud and assertive.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they get an opportunity to see those dogs outside of their kennels, it\u2019s like night and day,\u201d said Mary Steffen with the Humane Society of Broward County. \u201cThey\u2019re energetic and happy and playful and social.\u201d<\/p>\n
Birch got to meet 4-year-old Carmen, who had been there three months, 8-year-old Bernard, who had been there for two months, and 5-year-old River, who had been in the kennel for 60 days. <\/p>\n
All three have one thing in common. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf you walk through our kennels on any given day, 50% of the dogs out there are pit bull mixes,\u201d said Steffen. <\/p>\n
Breed restrictions can be a problem with some landlords, but dogs are judged just as harshly as us humans.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re always going to choose the healthiest, often times the youngest, the prettiest,\u201d said Steffen. <\/p>\n
This is a typical problem in shelters too. When a momma is used for breeding, her puppies are the first ones to get adopted out, but then she\u2019s the one who can get stuck there for months.<\/p>\n
At Broward County Animal Care, length of stay for animals is a major issue that the new director came in wanting to tackle.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe quicker we can cycle those pets out of this building, the more we can free up room to help more animals coming in,\u201d said Doug Brightwell with Broward County Animal Care.<\/p>\n
Over the last year, new marketing programs and snazzy social media posts have helped to bring the month average down to about 20 days.<\/p>\n
Courtney is 5 years old and loves people, her toys and other dogs, too, but she has been stuck in a shelter for more than six months. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese dogs come from the community,\u201d said Brightwell. \u201cWe want to get them cleaned up, we want to get them healthy and we want to send them back out into the community, that way they are sterilized, they\u2019re healthier and they can live out their life in a permanent home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfe0 News From Your Neighborhood<\/p>\n
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