Miami Heartbeat: Inside Magic City's Most Compassionate Animal Shelters

Miami is fondly called the Magic City, and for good reason. Its vibrant culture and Latin flair attract visitors from all over the globe. However, it is also known for its deep-seated love for animals, especially the downtrodden. Here are city animal shelters you can give your love to when in Miami.

Humane Society of Greater Miami

16101 West Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach, FL 33160

Since 1936, the Humane Society of Greater Miami has been helping homeless animals. It is dedicated to providing a loving community for pets and their humans in Miami-Dade County. The society is active in promoting animal welfare, controlling the pet population, and helping the financially challenged take care of their pets. It offers low-cost and, sometimes, free services for vaccinations and spay/neuter surgeries.

Learn more about The Humane Society of Greater Miami

PAWS4you Rescue

8717 SW 134th Street, Miami, FL 33176

When Paws4you founder Carol Caridad realized that perfectly healthy dogs could be abandoned without second thoughts, she started this foster-based organization in April 2007. After a few years and finally having a shelter they can call their own, this city animal shelter is now home to around 100 dogs. It aims to care for homeless animals by providing them with love and care until they get adopted into their forever-loving homes.

Learn more about PAWS4you Rescue

Redland Dog Sanctuary

25800 Southwest 182nd Avenue, Homestead, Florida 33031

With the goal of giving all dogs the chance to find forever homes, Redland Dog Sanctuary rehabilitates those with difficult behavioral issues to prepare them for their best lives. Each year, this city animal shelter helps dumped street dogs in its area and brings them to safety. They will then socialize and rehabilitate them to prepare them for their forever homes. It also works to educate the public about the importance of spaying and neutering, among other things related to animal welfare.

Learn more about Redland Dog Sanctuary

Friends of Miami Animals Foundation, Inc.

2665 South Bayshore Drive Suite, 1200 Miami, FL 33133

With its mission to save and improve the lives of homeless pets in Miami-Dade County, Friends of Miami Animals Foundation, Inc. works through four essential aspects: pet retention, education and awareness, spay and neuter, and population support. Its achievements include over a thousand pets transferred to no-kill shelters, over 1 million dollars in medical services, and over $100 thousand invested in shelter facility improvements, among many others.

Learn more about Friends of Miami Animals Foundation, Inc.

Miami Animal Rescue

Miami, FL, United States, 33186

A non-profit organization created specifically to rescue dogs and other animals from euthanasia, abandonment, and other emergencies, Miami Animal Rescue aims to find them forever homes. And it is succeeding, with over 3,500 animals saved from 2016 to 2022. It also works tirelessly to provide immediate medical care, microchip identification, sterilization, and behavioral assistance. It also hosts programs to educate people about spaying, neutering, and responsible pet ownership.

Learn more about Miami Animal Rescue

The Cat Network

PO Box 347228, Miami, FL 33234

Dedicated to helping kitties in need, The Cat Network, Inc. has a focus on humanely reducing the cat population. It does this through educating the public about the need to sterilize their pets and strays. It gives them access to low-cost spay and neuter services and helps them place adoptable cats in loving homes. It has enabled it to spare thousands of cat lives through its membership-based network. It has over 2,500 volunteer and donor members that have trapped and sterilized over 51,000 stray and abandoned cats and put into adoption over 7,000 more since its inception in December 1995.

Learn more about The Cat Network

Jamie's Rescue

13715 Nw 2nd Ave, North Miami, Fl 33168, North Miami, Fl 33168

Alarmed by the thought of over two million dogs entering shelters every year, Jamie's Rescue had been born. Named after its founder, Jamie Robinson, a former White House photographer, she sees this shelter as her most significant achievement. It takes pride in being a cage-free, no-kill, and organic-feed city animal shelter. This rescue organization sits on one acre of land where the dogs it cares for roam free until they find their loving forever homes.

Learn more about Jamie's Rescue

Big Hearts For Big Dogs Rescue

12051 S.W. 131 Avenue Miami, FL 33186

With the belief that smaller dogs get rescued and adopted first, Big Hearts for Big Dogs Rescue decided to advocate for the bigger doggos. It understands the challenges these dogs face, providing them with care, love, and the attention they deserve. It takes in large-breed dogs from shelters, pounds, and private homes to care for them. It gives them medical care, such as vaccinations, spay/neuter surgeries, and treatment for other health issues. It also trains them to prepare them for adoption.

Learn more about Big Hearts For Big Dogs Rescue

Animal Welfare Society of South Florida

2601 SW 27th Ave, Miami, FL 33133

While not exactly a city animal shelter, the Animal Welfare Society of South Florida is an animal hospital that provides veterinary care for pets. It offers spaying and neutering services to help control overpopulation and minimize the sad fate of many unwanted and neglected pets. It takes pride in being the only facility that does this kind of work, providing not just quality care but also checkups, orthopedic surgeries, and senior care, to name a few.

Learn more about the Animal Welfare Society of South Florida