Friends of Miami Animals – Be A Friend Fundraiser

FoMA Team - FoMA PetsOn January  15, 2020,  Friends of Miami Animals (“FoMA”)  hosted its inaugural “Be A Friend” fundraiser raising nearly $200,000 in donations.   About 180 of the organization’s friends gathered to show support for FoMA and its mission to save and improve the lives of pets in Miami-Dade County. Guests spent the evening learning more about the issues faced by homeless pets and pets of low income qualified pet owners and the solutions FoMA provides.

 

Dignitaries in attendance included Mayor Carlos A. Giménez of Miami-Dade, Mayor Oliver Gilbert of Miami Gardens, State Senator René García, and Commissioners Danielle Levine Cava, Sally Heyman, and Jean Monestine of Miami-Dade County.

 

FoMA Gift Bags - FoMA PetsWith the addition of a matching grant from Potamkin Philanthropies, the donations will total approximately $500,000 and will be used to fund a new mobile veterinarian clinic for a full year in partnership with Miami Dade Animal Services and Miami-Dade County for an initial three-year test project.   The clinic will bring basic veterinary services and vouchers for free spay/neuter services to pets of low-income qualified pet owners who are unable to provide adequate care in economically challenged areas of Miami-Dade County.

 

“This mobile veterinarian clinic will make an enormous impact on the health and wellness of pets in our county. It’s just one of our many programs to provide care to animals in need,” said Brigitt Rok-Potamkin, a founding member of FoMA and the hostess of the evening.

 

Yolanda Berkowitz, President of FoMA, said, “We’re a young foundation, but we’ve already made such important progress towards controlling pet overpopulation crisis in Miami-Dade County. This clinic augments our existing support of at-risk pets exponentially.”

 

About FoMA

 

Since 2016, Friends of Miami Animals Foundation (FoMA) has been a leader in animal welfare issues committed to helping homeless pets, community pets and the people who love them. The foundation helps build effective programs, establishing meaningful collaborations and engaging leaders and the community to save and improve the lives of homeless pets. Its work includes spay and neuter programs, shelter and rescue assistance, and support for animal rescue.

 

Watch this video to learn more about FoMA’s work and donate to the cause at fomapets.org below:


Welcome to Kitten Season

Spring is kitten season here in Miami-Dade County, when more feral cats have their babies than any other time of year. Do you know what to do if you find a litter of kittens? Should you touch them? Move them? Bring them to a rescue? Here are some basic tips to equip you to help homeless kittens in your neighborhood.

 

Step one: Determine if the mother is around

 

A feral cat is a cat that has not socialized with people, and therefore does not know how to interact with people properly. Additionally, the young kittens, like any baby animals, need their mother! They may still be nursing and severing the parent-infant relationship will starve them. 

 

You may not have time to stay for hours and check to make sure the mother is there, so be resourceful, or come back later, to see if she has returned to her kittens. Ideally, you should not leave the litter of cats on their own for over eight hours.

 

If eight hours have passed and you determine that the mother is gone and has abandoned her litter, or something has happened to the mother, it is time to act: See step two.

 

On the other hand, if the mother has returned, contact Miami-Dade Animal Services, the Cat Network, or other rescue groups and inquire about getting help trapping the mom and any other cats for its TNR, or “Trap, Neuter, Return” programs or assistance to ensure the adult cats in the community are humanely trapped and spayed or neutered to avoid continuing pet overpopulation. 

Playing Cats - FoMA Pets

Step Two: Pick up the abandoned kittens and provide immediate care

 

Humans are scary to feral and under socialized cats, especially young ones, so dress appropriately to avoid scratches from the kittens. Once in your care, it is important to keep the kittens warm. Kittens are susceptible to the cold and without a mother looking after them, they cannot easily regulate their own body temperatures. Use a towel or blanket to wrap them up and keep them comfortable. 

 

The kittens will probably be hungry, so it is important to feed them. If they are older kittens, canned kitten food or canned kitten food mixed with kitten milk replacer is best, but if they are younger, they will need milk. A veterinarian can help you determine the age and dietary needs of the kittens. It is vital that you do not feed them cow’s milk as it will make a cat sick. Rather, get “Kitten Milk Replacer” (KMR) or “21st Century Milk Replacement” which can be purchased at pet stores.

Bottle Fed Kitten - FoMA Pets

Step Three: Make a plan for the litter of kittens

 

First, you must decide whether to keep these kittens and foster them for yourself or to bring them to rescue so they can be fostered by another household. 

 

If you have decided to foster them yourself, the real work begins now. There are many steps involved in beginning to take care of this new litter of kittens. Among your responsibilities, if you choose to keep these kittens, will be to have them seen by a vet and vaccinated, spayed, neutered, micro-chipped, etc., and to help them find new forever homes. Make sure that you partner with Miami-Dade Animal Services, The Humane Society of Greater Miami or another reputable local rescue to get the supplies and directions you will need to care for these kittens.

 

Remember: By donating to FoMA and by volunteering alongside us, we can support efforts to protect homeless kittens and all of Miami’s feral cats.

Newborn Kittens - FoMA Pets

Five Reasons Miami-Dade Pet Owners Should Spay and Neuter Their Animals

Despite growing awareness on the issue of spay and neuter, thanks to the work of the ASPCA, public figures such as the late Bob Barker, and various animal welfare organizations around the country—there is still much misinformation about the importance of spaying or neutering your pets.

 

For Miami-Dade County in particular, where we have a pet overpopulation problem that leads to the euthanization of hundreds of innocent animals each year, spaying and neutering your pets is of the utmost importance. Keep reading for the top five reasons why you should spay or neuter your pet.

 

 

  • Prevent the overpopulation of pets

 

 

At Miami-Dade Animal Services, Miami’s only open intake shelter, staff and volunteers care for over 400 homeless pets at any given time. Over the course of a single year, this number translates to around 10,000 pets brought into the shelter—either because they were found as strays, or because their owners surrendered them. By refusing to spay or neuter your pets, you may be adding to an increase in the number of homeless pets if your dog or cat has a litter of puppies or kittens, or impregnates another pet. Rather than continuing to increase pet populations, we need more households willing to house pets and to reduce pet populations over time until the number of pets can equal the amount of households that can care for them. 

Brown Dog - FoMA Pets

 

  • Improve the behavior of your pet

 

 

Un-spayed and un-neutered pets are known for more difficult behavioral problems than sterilized pets. Both dogs and cats, especially males, can spray strong-smelling urine in order to mark their territory. They will even do this within their own homes. This behavior is caused by strong sex hormones in pets, which can also lead to aggression problems that can make pet ownership difficult. When pets are spayed or neutered, these problems tend to subside, and the pets make for much more affectionate and easy-to-care-for companions.

 

 

  • Support the health of your pet

 

 

Studies show that sterilizing your pet can drastically increase their life expectancy. For dogs, sterilization increases life expectancy by one to three years, while in cats, life expectancy raises by three to five years! Spaying your female pets decreases the likelihood that they will develop cancers including uterine, ovarian, and breast cancers. These forms of cancer are 50% fatal in dogs and 90% fatal in cats. For males, neutering before six months of age can prevent the development of testicular cancer. Not only can these health risks hurt your pets, they are damaging to you and your family, and very costly if not impossible to treat. Sterilization is much cheaper than paying for medical treatments and the loss of a life-long companion for your family is not something to take lightly.  

Curious Cat - FoMA Pets

 

  • Keep your pet from running away 

 

 

When trying to find a mate, an unsterilized male dog will seek out a female dog anywhere they can. This means that they will do anything to find an unsterilized female dog, even leave their yard or home. They can dig under fences or break out of their home and roam, trying to reproduce. This behavior can be extremely dangerous for your pet and they risk being killed or hurt when they come across other dogs, traffic, and the elements outside of your home. 

Happy Family - FoMA Pets

 

  • Help improve your community

 

 

Thousands of unwanted pets in Miami-Dade county are euthanized every and many more lose their lives living on the streets of our community. Having so many homeless, unsterilized pets on the streets is damaging to them. Pets who live their lives as homeless animals on our streets may be harder to place in loving, forever homes due to behaviors developed while roaming or their general mistrust of people after having to fend for themselves.

 

Getting your pets spayed and neutered is important for the safety and health of your pets, your community, and yourself. Visit the FoMA website to learn more about making the right choice for your pets. Please, spay and neuter your dogs and cats.

 

#AdoptLove

It’s the month of cupid arrows, candy, roses and valentines! February 14th gives us a unique day to celebrate love in all of its many forms, and this month, we encourage you to join FoMA in our mission to save and improve the lives of homeless pets by sharing our new campaign: #AdoptLove. More than just an act of kindness or generosity, adopting a homeless pet creates a bond that is supremely strong, both practically and emotionally, to both parties. Need more reasons to adopt? Keep reading:

 

Save a Life

In a practical sense, adopting a pet saves lives. Did you know 3.3 million—yes, million—dogs enter shelters each year in America alone. American shelters have staff working around the clock to ensure the health and safety of the animals they take in, but their resources cannot support such a large number of pets, thus leaving many animals homeless, alone, or at risk of losing their lives. Whether these pets were abandoned, neglected, or could no longer be looked after by their owners, we believe they deserve love and a chance at a forever, loving home. Adopting a pet from a shelter saves a life and makes room for more homeless pets.

Living in Harmony 2 - FoMA Pets

Save money

Adopting a pet is financially easier than purchasing one. Most shelters support the adoption of their animals by including microchipping, spaying or neutering and vaccinating in the cost of rescuing the pet, which is hundreds of dollars less than purchasing a puppy or kitten.

Cozy Kitten - FoMA Pets

Stop puppy mills

Along with adopting being less costly, choosing to adopt rather than purchase your pet minimizes the ability of pet stores and breeders to take advantage of animals. Businesses like pet stores get their animals from puppy mills, which specialize in mass-breeding of dogs and focus on maximizing profits, while ignoring the responsibility of properly caring for them. They separate mothers from their puppies and leave the puppies unsocialized and even ill. Meanwhile, dogs live in deplorable conditions. Supporting your local shelter will reduce the business these companies get and help put a stop to mass-breeding and unnecessary suffering and death.

Puppy Prison Break - FoMA Pets

Live a happier life

Adopting a pet can be a highly positive experience for all involved. Many studies show that pet owners are healthier than their non-pet-owning counterparts. They tend to live longer, happier lives because the mutual love between a pet and its owner is extremely positive. It has even been shown that people over the age of 65 make 30 percent less doctor visits than others if they own a pet. People dealing with conditions such as depression or anxiety can feel like they have nobody to rely on in times of need. A pet can play an important role of emotional support in times of stress. 

Happy Retriever - FoMA Pets

Help your children develop responsibility

Lastly, owning and caring for a rescue pet can be one of the most important aspects of your child’s development. Children who grow up around pets learn to play nicely and avoid behavior that could hurt others. It also teaches them to be responsible at a young age by gaining an understanding of how to treat the things they care about. It can also set children up well to enter school and forge bonds with others.

The mutual love of pet ownership cannot be overstated. Clearly, pets are not the only ones benefiting from their relationships with humans. What humans give to pets in care and love, pets give equally in their love and loyalty. FOMA encourages you to #AdoptLove this month by visiting any of our county’s local rescue organizations or the Miami-Dade Animal Services Pet Adoption and Protection Center.

Happy for a Puppy - FoMA Pets

Why FoMA?

Since 2016, FoMA has been the leader in animal welfare issues in Miami-Dade County. We build effective programs, establish meaningful collaborations, and engage the community to save and improve the lives of homeless pets. However, there are dozens—if not hundreds—of animal welfare and rescue organizations across South Florida. So you might be wondering, why create one more—what makes FoMA different?

The answer is simple: while many organizations are focused on rescuing homeless pets from our county’s streets and shelters, very few—if any—other organizations are addressing the root of the problem of pet homelessness in Miami-Dade County. 

Here are some ways we do that:

 

FoMA recruits volunteers 

Miami-Dade Animal Services is an open-intake shelter, meaning they take in strays on our streets, give safe haven to confiscated pets and take owner surrendered pets. Because of this, the shelter has more than 400 homeless animals in its care at any given time. FoMA, in response, supports Miami-Dade Animal Services by bringing in more than 300 new service volunteers every year, allowing the shelter to support and care for these abandoned and neglected animals. 

FoMA Volunteers at Work - FoMA Pets.

FoMA supports adoption efforts

Despite these hard-working volunteers, many animals go unadopted. Extended stays by animals increase stress and illness, making it more difficult to find permanent homes for these animals. FoMA funds play yards for the shelter’s pets, supports enrichment activities to increase positive interactions between homeless pets and people, alleviating shelter stress and helping prepare animals for life in a forever home.

Playful Dog - FoMA Pets

FoMA champions spay and neuter efforts

FoMA and Miami-Dade Animal Services make an effort to help as many homeless animals as possible. However, there are far more homeless pets on the streets of Miami-Dade County than can fit in the shelter, or that can be taken in by rescue groups. Approximately 5,000 stray pets are found annually by Good Samaritans and another 5,000 stray pets are picked up annually by animal control officers. 

To help curb the homeless population, FoMA provides funding for spay and neuter services to over 2,000 pets annually. We do this by working in conjunction with and providing funding to other organizations such as The Humane Society of Greater Miami and the City of Miami Beach Cat Project. 

 

FoMA cares for pets of low-income households

FoMA also understands that pet healthcare can be difficult for low-income households. Each year, over 500 pets are surrendered to Miami-Dade Animal Services due to unaffordable or neglected routine medical care. FoMA is working to combat this by sponsoring a new mobile medical unit that will provide access to routine care for low-income pets, enabling owners to keep their pets.

Experienced Veterinarian - FoMA Pets

FoMA is a megaphone for the community

Through targeted community messaging on social media, its website, email, and events, FoMA engages our community across diverse segments on the topic of animal welfare. Through its social media efforts alone, FoMA is able to educate more than 1,000 Miami-Dade County residents every day on the importance of pet adoption, volunteer, and foster efforts. FoMA also engages the community at the corporate level by forging partnerships between our county shelter and other entities, including The United Way, Wings of Rescue, The Underline, and Apple Inc. 

It takes a village for FoMA to operate, and we still need the support of our community to continue our work. Please consider donating, or find out how you can get involved, by exploring our website or on social media at @fomapets.

 

Help Shelter Pets

Improving and enriching the lives of shelter pets as they wait for their forever families.

Control Pet Populations

Helping pets and pet owners to reduce pet overpopulation through funding, education, and advocacy.

Volunteers

Improving the lives of shelter pets by supporting volunteers, and other efforts. FoMA provides support for enrichment programs at Miami Dade Animal Services and in our community.