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At FoMA, we want to see all pets find loving homes with families that will care for them forever. 

Before you get a pet make sure you consider all of the responsibilities and the commitment necessary. Read the below and remember, if you’re unsure about making the commitment our pets deserve, it’s better to wait or to foster a pet until you are certain adding a furry best friend to your home is for you. And when bringing a pet home, always adopt. Don’t shop!

1. Are you ready to make a lifetime commitment for the life of your pet?

Dogs can live for 10-15 years, and cats can live up to 20 years! When deciding to get a pet, keep in mind that even if you move, change jobs, get married, have kids, or go through other big life changes, your pets will still need you to keep them safe and loved. Once you bring a pet home, make sure you consider their needs when making life decisions, and plan ahead! Is that something you’re ready for?

2. Are you ready for the financial responsibility?

On average, you can expect to spend around $1000 in the first year of owning a pet, if they are in good health & need only routine care. This takes into account wellness veterinary expenses, vaccinations, food & toys, collars and leashes, adoption fees, crates, and other incidentals. If you travel frequently you may need to invest in a good pet sitter or safe boarding facility, and if your pet has a medical condition or needs training you’ll want to make sure you can provide that, as well. Make sure you also consider the cost of any pet rent or additional fees you may have to pay to your landlord, if you are a renter.

If you decide now is not the time to commit to the financial requirements of pet ownership, fostering can be a great alternative until you’re ready for a pet of your own. Rescues will typically provide the medical care and supplies your foster pet needs while you provide a loving home, and shelters often need fosters to provide temporary homes to young or recovering pets. While the value and joy pets bring to our lives can’t be measured, financial considerations are necessary before bringing a pet home.

3. Do you have the time to give to a pet’s care?

Pets require and deserve our time and care. While everyone may want to have a furry friend, it’s important to consider the time and energy needed for an animal’s health and happiness. Ask yourself: do you have the time and resources to take them out for several walks daily, can you spend time playing with them & providing enrichment, are you able to feed them on a schedule and give them the love and attention they need? Do you work long hours that require you to be away from home for a large part of the day, leaving your pets unattended or having to make arrangements for dog walkers or sitters to pitch in? These are all important questions to ask yourself when considering the quality of life a pet deserves to have when you bring them home.

4. Has there been a long time interest in having a pet, and do you have experience in owning a pet?

We know that owning a pet comes with responsibilities, so it’s important you ensure this is a well-thought-out decision. Ask the hard questions: Could this just be short term interest from a cute video or photo? Have you thought about the responsibilities of bringing a pet into your family? Have you owned a pet before? Is everyone in the household committed to taking a pet into the home and making sure they are safe and loved? You need to make sure you consider all aspects of pet ownership to ensure you don’t find yourself having to abandon your pet at a shelter if “things don’t work out”. And never, ever abandon a pet on the street!

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Anyone who wants to can be a good pet owner, whether or not they have previous experience. But, it’s important to consider all aspects of owning a pet before bringing a pet home .

If you’ve checked all these boxes and you feel ready to include a pet in your family, please consider adoption first. There are hundreds of lovable pets that sit in community shelters every day, waiting for their forever home & family. When you adopt you not only change their lives, you make room in the shelter for other animals who need a safe haven, or are living on the streets, with nowhere to go. Shelter pets have just as much love to give as their puppy mill counterparts. Be the difference in their story.

Visit the links below to find adoptable, lovable pets in the Miami-Dade area.

Paws4You
Humane Society of Greater Miami
Miami-Dade Animal Services

With the holiday season in full swing, it is important to be intentional with our decisions. When we think about giving loved ones the gift of a new pet, we have to carefully consider which businesses we support with our purchase. Although there are some misconceptions about shelters, at FoMA we want to help inform the narrative as to the real issues in the world of all things pets. 

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The Problems with the Pet World: 

• Pet Stores That Sell Puppies: Despite the convenience and cute puppies in the windows, pet stores that sell puppies run a profit-driven business. Because of the overall lack of awareness about the cruel, inhumane world of puppy mills and because pet stores source their “pets for sale” from puppy mills, unsuspecting buyers have no idea that the cute bundle of fur they are taking home comes from a dirty, unsafe breeding facility.  Eliminating the sale of pets in pet stores is important in helping to put an end to pet overpopulation, and to creating a safe, healthy future for pets everywhere. To learn more, check out this article from the Humane Society of the United States. 

• Puppy Mills: Puppy mills are cruel breeding facilities whose sole purpose is profit. Animals live in horrific conditions, and often are not humanely cared for, living in filth, not properly fed or exercised and producing litter after litter until they outlive their usefulness. Read more about why we need to help put an end to puppy mills in our September blog. 

 

• Misinformation: Having a pet is a significant responsibility. It is one of the biggest gifts in life, but requires commitment and work to ensure that your pet is safe, happy, and healthy.   If you decide you aren’t ready for a pet right now, it’s better to understand the commitment before bringing a furry friend home!  One thing you don’t want to do is gift or get a pet that ends up abandoned in a shelter or having to be surrendered just a few weeks later. So, if you are thinking about bringing a pet home, do your homework first to make sure that you (and your pet) aren’t getting more than you bargained for.

 

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How We Can Fix Some Of These Problems:

• Support Shelters: Without animal shelters, communities all over the country would be even more overrun with homeless animals than they are currently. Animal shelters care for, house, feed, enrich the lives of, and advocate for homeless pets everywhere. They seek loving homes for these pets, and the amount of behind-the scenes work and time that they invest is incredible. Shelters are a crucial conduit between homeless pets and their forever homes. But they can’t do it alone and our shelters need us –if you want to get involved, consider donating to or volunteering at the animal shelter in your county.

• Say No To Puppy Mills and Tell Others: It is clear that puppy mills are inhumane institutions, so this holiday season and beyond, if you are going to get a new pet, check your local shelter first!  Pets that come from shelters deserve the same amount of love and care as pets that come from breeders. Often, they are infinitely more grateful too! If you are thinking about adding a new best friend to the family, visit your local shelter, not the pet store. And tell your friends and family to do the same. Please.

 

• Join the Friend Zone!: At FoMA, we have made it our mission to help end pet homelessness in the Miami-Dade area. We work towards this initiative every day in a variety of ways, whether it be through partnerships with organizations like The Underline and Wings of Rescue, projects like the WOW Mobile that provides free wellness care to owned pets in Miami-Dade County, through our weekly participation in virtual adoption events, or any of our other, impactful initiatives. We can’t do it alone though. We rely on the support of generous donors. Be part of the change: click here to sign up for the Friend Zone now!

 

 

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Puppy mills are inhumane breeding facilities whose sole purpose is producing as many puppies as possible, all for profit. Focused only on generating money, they have no concern for the welfare of the mothers or puppies, subjecting them to horrifying conditions. Puppy Mill Awareness Day was September 17th, but the need for awareness and action exists year round. Read more below about how you can join us in this fight against the inhumane conditions in puppy mills.

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What Puppy Mills Look Like & Why They Should Be Put Out of Business:

• Inhumane Conditions for Puppies: Dogs in puppy mills live in some of the most heinous conditions imaginable. Often dogs are kept in cramped cages with no room to exercise or even move freely. If food and water is provided for them, it is often unclean and contaminated with bacteria, leading to sick and malnourished puppies. Puppies in mills are often found with bleeding or swollen paws from improper living quarters and lack of treatment. Additionally, given the small size of their enclosures, these puppies often live in their own urine and feces. 

 

• Terrible Treatment of Mother Dogs: Female dogs in puppy mills spend their entire lives in cramped cages. They are often bred constantly, with little to no recovery time between litters. When the puppy mill owners decide that the female dogs have been “used” enough and can no longer reproduce, they are killed. 

 

• There Are So Many Shelter Pets That Need Love: It is estimated that 2.6 million puppy mill puppies are sold each year. When you buy puppies at pet stores or online, they are likely from puppy mills. Ready for another staggering number? Roughly 1 million animals are killed in shelters each year. These shelter pets deserve just as much love as a puppy you would buy from a pet store. As a community it is our responsibility to work together and make a change.

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How Can You Help With Puppy Mill Rescue?:

• Use Your Voice: Some people are unaware of the inhumane conditions in puppy mills, or they do not realize that the cute little pooch in the store actually came from a mill. If they did, they surely would not add to the suffering of the animals or help these businesses prosper by buying one of their puppies. Through research and sharing information with others, we can raise awareness and help educate the public about this important issue. If you want to be an advocate against puppy mills, and are hoping for more guidance on next steps, click here to read The Humane Society of the United States’ advocacy guide. 

 

• Research Your Local Pet Store: Not all pet stores sell puppies, but those that do typically buy their puppies from mills. If your local pet store sells puppies, it might be worth a visit. But never to buy a puppy. Encourage them to become Puppy-Friendly Pet Stores with the help and support of The Humane Society of the United States, and of FoMA. You always have a friend and fellow advocate in the Miami-Dade area, so please do not hesitate to reach out if you need some extra support in your Puppy Mill Awareness advocacy. 

 

• Reach Out to Your Legislators: This might sound a bit intimidating. But when an issue is this significant, taking it straight to the law makers is one of the best courses of action to effect change. Puppy mills are not illegal in a majority of states, and with very little oversight there are legal loopholes that enable people to run puppy mills. By contacting your local legislators and stressing the importance of this issue, you can help create change in your community. And how incredible would it be to know you saved helpless animals with your efforts? If you need to find out who the legislators are in your area, or how to contact them, click here. 

 

• Write a Letter to The Editor: By writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, you are taking your voice and advocacy to the next level. Newspapers have resources you might not, so in sending a letter to be published about the cruelty of puppy mills and why they should be put out of business, you could reach audiences you never dreamed of before!

 

• Donate Today: At FoMA, we work hard every day to improve animal welfare in our community. We use our platform to aid in this mission in a variety of ways, and are tapped in to a multitude of resources–both locally and nationally- that share our goals. By donating to our cause today, you can help us continue the fight against animal cruelty and pet homelessness everywhere. Join us today.

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We all like to stay cool during the summertime heat but for your pets, it is a necessity. The sometimes unbearable summer heat can be deadly for pets. With temperatures rising into the 100 degree range some days, it is crucial to know how to keep your pets safe from heat stroke. Luckily for you, FoMA has some suggestions and useful tools to keep your furry friends safe and cool.

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To Keep Your Pets Safe From the Summertime Heat:

• Be Aware of the Signs of Overheating: The biggest dangers for your pets during the summertime are overheating and heat stroke. Also called hyperthermia, a heat stroke happens when a dog can no longer regulate its body temperature through panting or through its paws. Animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are at a higher risk of heat stroke because they can’t cool down as effectively by panting. Older and overweight pets are also at a higher risk and these pets should be kept in cool areas as much as possible. If your pet is panting excessively, having trouble breathing, drooling, is listless or has collapsed, these may be signs of overheating. Other serious symptoms include seizures, bloody diarrhea, vomiting and an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.

 

• Treating Overheating: If you notice any of these symptoms, you need to immediately move your pet to a cooler area and begin cooling them down with cool water-not cold water though, as rapid cooling can also be dangerous. Position your pet in front of a fan to cool off, check their temperature every few minutes, and give your fur baby some water. If you have access to a pool of water, soak your dog’s feet in it as they have sweat glands in their paws which allow them to cool down. Even after your pet has cooled down it is still important to get to a vet as soon as possible and have them checked to make sure there was no internal damage. 
  

 

• Watch Your Pets for Dehydration: Your furry friends can quickly become dehydrated and dehydration can be even more harmful in the summertime. You can tell if your dog is dehydrated by doing the skin test. Simply lift the skin between the shoulder blades to form a tent, and then drop it. If your dog is dehydrated, it will take longer for the skin to return to normal position. You can also check your dog or cat’s nose and gums. If their nose is dry, and their gums are dry and sticky, they are likely dehydrated. Make sure that you have clean, fresh water accessible at all times for your pets and keep them inside on especially warm days. Even when you are outdoors in the evening, it is important to remember that your pets still need to be hydrated so it’s a good idea to keep a fresh bowl of water outside for them at all times.  
  

 

• Be Strategic in the Timing of Your Walks and Outdoor Exercise: In the heat of summertime, asphalt temperatures can soar above 143 degrees on an 87 degree day. This temperature can be damaging for your pets’ paws. As a rule of thumb, if it is too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for your pets. Try to walk your pets in the morning and late afternoon or in the evening, when the temperatures are slightly cooler. If you have an at-risk pet and must exercise or go on a long walk during the day, think about putting a cooling jacket on your furry friend. Chewy has a nice cooling vest that could be worth the investment, and if you use our referral link you will receive $20 off your first order and Chewy will donate to our cause! Let’s work together to keep your pets cool and safe this summer! 

 

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• DO NOT Shave Your Pets: Although shaving your pets might seem like the obvious move to keep them cool in the summertime, it can actually end up hurting them more than helping them. Your pup has a layered coat that provides protection from overheating and sunburn. Go ahead and trim longer hair, but do not shave it off completely. For your cats, brushing them frequently can prevent problems caused by excessive heat, but they also need their fur for protection from the elements. 

 

• NEVER Leave Your Pets in a Hot Car: Because cars magnify heat, on a 90 degree day, the inside of a car can soar to a roasting 130 degrees very quickly. Your pets will try to cool themselves down by panting, but their anxiety levels will rise making the situation even more dangerous. Even running into the grocery store for a few minutes is enough time for heat stroke to set in. Cracking a window does next to nothing for the temperature in the car, not to mention the fact that leaving your pets unattended in a car is illegal in a number of states! Next time you have to run errands, leave your pets at home. They will thank you and you’ll be keeping them safe! 

 

• Be Responsible: Above all else, this tip remains the most important one. Be responsible. It is our job as pet owners to ensure the safety and comfort of our fur family, and staying informed on how to keep our pets safe in any scenario should be a number one priority. If you can’t commit to keeping your pets safe, you should think twice about taking on the responsibility of bringing a pet into your home. We want all pets to find their forever homes, but a safe and loving home with responsible pet owners is just as important. Help us ensure the wellbeing of animals in not just Miami-Dade, but all over.

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