Dressed in their Christmas finest, 10 shelter dogs had their holiday wish granted — all thanks to a special visit from Santa Claus.
Santa recently made a special trip to Miami-Dade Animal Services in Doral on to help the shelter transport the dogs to a rescue group located in Scottsville, NY.
One by one, the dogs received the celebrity treatment, walking a red carpet out of the shelter before being loaded by Santa and his helpers into a transport van. Each dog was even dressed in a festive sweater for the trip to the North.
This isn’t the first time Animal Services has partnered with a rescue group out of state in an effort to find pets homes.
“The holiday season is a time for pets to be with families,” said Alex Muñoz, director of Animal Services. “Although we transport pets often, this trip was a little special because these dogs now have a chance to find a home in time for Christmas.”
Animal Services spokeswoman Flora Beal said that working with rescue groups in other parts of the country often can give pets a better chance at getting adopted, especially those pets who have been at the shelter for extended periods of time.
This trip included two Labrador Retrievers who had been at the shelter for 11 months, making them the shelter’s longest residents.
“When a pet has been with us for that long, we’re going to do everything in our power to help find that pet a home, even if that means calling Santa himself to help out,” Muñoz said.
The pets arrived in Scottsville after an overnight trip and were taken to One Love Pet Adoptions, an adoption center located inside a local veterinary hospital. The team at One Love will work to find the dogs their forever homes.
Meanwhile, there are still hundreds of dogs and cats at Miami-Dade Animal Services hoping to find their own homes for the holidays. In the spirit of giving, Animal Services has waived adoption fees for cats of all ages and for dogs over four months old through Dec. 31.
Adopters are only responsible for the $30 tag for dogs four months and older.
You can visit the Pet Adoption and Protection Center, 3599 NW 79 Ave. in Doral, to begin your search for a perfect furry companion this holiday season.
