This afternoon, a press release was distributed by Miami Dade Animal Services, announcing a disease outbreak (canine distemper, and potentially parvo), and an essential LOCKDOWN of the facility. Most regular services will be temporarily suspended, and others permanently discontinued. Click here to read the press release. There are over 500 dogs currently being housed at the facility - and all their lives are in immediate danger.
We have learned that Dr. Sarah Pizano went on camera again this afternoon (local channel 4 - CBS) to categorically DENY there will be a MASS KILL tonight at her animal shelter. Our sources on the inside had earlier reported, in spite of her first live press conference, that [allegedly] Dr. Pizano did in fact give the “kill order”.
One thing is for certain, the animal advocates of South Florida and beyond have turned all eyes to PetHarbor.com; a nationwide search directory of impounded, lost and found companion animals. Pet Harbor is used by many rescue organizations to monitor the “kill list” and subsequently send out rescue alerts.
Rescues all over the country will be watching the MDAS Pet Harbor report very closely to account for every animal in the facility; we are counting on the fact that either the lucky get adopted immediately, or they will still be listed on tomorrow morning's report. In that case, the animal has at least survived MDAS for one more day.
Sources now speculate Dr. Pizano has backed herself into a corner and the mass-kill may not happen tonight, but it’s inevitable unless the community arranges for an organized mass-rescue. Shelter staff have admitted to local press that animals remaining in the shelter will be "euthanized" (KILLED). They claim that they will make efforts to get as many out as possible, but this is a shelter notorious for not making lifesaving efforts.
Ordinarily, a disease outbreak of this proportion is announced by the shelter director in ADVANCE, allowing rescue plans to be coordinated (according to sources that were present at the University of Florida Shelter Medicine meeting), BUT, not so in Miami-Dade's Animal “Shelter”.
It is said that the representatives of UF's shelter medicine department would never recommend a mass kill in any animal shelter. There you have it: welcome to Miami-Dade Animal Services.
Where is the media in this? It is surprising that nobody has been willing to look into the political implications here. The timing of this is too coincidental. This distemper epidemic is not new to MDAS...it has been there for years. Why now do they choose to make this move? Think about it people...the only person with the authority to intervene and allow animal welfare groups to help out is the mayor and right now we have none (aside from an "acting" mayor who is essentially a figure head with zero authority).
ReplyDeleteA press release at 3:00 does not give anyone time to plan to assist in a manner that is in the interests of the animals. Pisano certainly knows animal advocates
will not have the mayor as a resource for them so the mayor isn't an issue she will have to contend with. She knows MDAS closes at 6:00 and with a press release three hours before that she limits protestors from being able to assemble. Pisano knows that at the end of the day no junctions can be granted. I am certain this has been very carefully crafted.
It is absolutely sickening that she put this much time and thought into careful planning in the interests of sheltering herself versus the animals she is supposed to shelter and care for. These animals are sick because of her neglect yet her solution is to spin this as if this just happened, kill them all, scrub the building with bleach and start a new day????