Left behind: These pets ended up in shelters, thanks to South Florida's housing crisis

Miami Herald

21-05-2025

Austin's family lived in an apartment and were facing eviction, so last June they surrendered their energetic shepherd and Siberian husky mix to an animal shelter in Fort Lauderdale. Frankie, a 3-year-old domestic shorthair cat, and his brother Mellow were left outside the same shelter, Abandoned Pet Rescue, in April with a handwritten note:
'We've had such a wonderful time with our owners but unfortunately with the changes in the economy, they have to relocate back home to Jamaica.'
These 'changes in the economy' — the higher cost of housing and living coupled with the expenses of feeding and paying for veterinarian care for a pet — are driving people to surrender their animals to local shelters in high numbers, shelter managers told the Herald Editorial Board.
The stories can be heartbreaking, like the email sent to Abandoned Pet Rescue from the owner of a 50-pound 'super-friendly' dog named Marley saying, 'We would never give her up, a member of our family, if we had a choice.'
But more than heartbreaking, these stories also reflect the damage South Florida's housing and affordability crisis has done to families, including our beloved domestic animals who can become collateral damage when humans have to make tough choices about their financial situation. It's all part of the Shrinking Middle — the name of the Herald Editorial Board series highlighting the challenges of affording a middle-class life in South Florida.
And who picks up the slack? Taxpayers who fund government-run animal services and nonprofits like Abandoned Pet Rescue and others. Individuals can help, too, if they're able to foster or adopt.
Housing crisis
Increasingly, shelter operators say, the decision to give up a pet is being driven by having to downsize, move out of state or move in with family where they cannot bring their cats or dogs. One-time pet fees charged by apartments can run upwards of $500 and monthly pet fees charged by some make already expensive rents even harder to manage, Kara Starzyk, shelter manager at Abandoned Pet Rescue, told the Herald Editorial Board.
'In these situations, they really love their pets,' she said.
Financial hardship isn't the only reason pets end up at shelters. Irresponsible or abusive owners and the over-breeding of dogs for financial gain are also part of the problem. But the housing crisis has contributed to overcrowding at Miami-Dade's largest animal shelter, run by the county, according to Animal Services Director Annette Jose.
In 2024, there were 300 dogs and cats surrendered to Animal Services because of housing-related issues, Jose told the Editorial Board, and so far this year, the number has reached 130 pets.
These numbers are important because Miami-Dade's shelter on Northwest 79th Street in Doral is already over capacity, forcing the county to use an overflow facility in Medley.
In 2019, the county normally housed 200 to 300 dogs. Last Thursday, there were 572 dogs, Jose said.
Pandemic effect
The COVID-19 pandemic was a disruptor and a turning point.
Early in the pandemic, Miami-Dade and other governments paused or reduced spaying and neutering services, likely leading to new pet births, the Herald reported. Toward the end of the pandemic, housing and rent prices began to skyrocket.
Beyond that, there's been a fundamental change in how people live in Miami-Dade, Jose said.
'We have gone from a mostly single-family house residential community to now we have so many condos, and that's a change that's happened maybe in the last decade,' she said.
With condos come pet fees and restrictions on size or type of pet, such as pitbulls. Jose told the Editorial Board that Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has contacted the Miami Association of Realtors to work on removing barriers to pet ownership in housing.
'Obviously, we need homeowners associations and property management firms to buy into this and help us promote pet ownership, because it's going to improve the lives of their residents,' Jose said.
We agree.
Miami-Dade's overcrowded pet shelter isn't just a logistical issue — it's a moral one that requires collective action. Likewise, our housing crisis isn't just a real estate phenomenon. It impacts every facet of the lives of South Floridians, and the pets are feeling it, too.
Pet adoption information:
Miami-Dade Pet Adoption and Protection Center: 3599 NW 79th Ave., Doral; call 311 or 305-468-5900; [e-mail]; pet search: 24petconnect.com/miad
Miami-Dade's Medley Shelter: 7401 NW 74 St., Medley; call 311 or 305-468-5900
Abandoned Pet Rescue: 1137 NE 9th Ave., Fort Lauderdale; 954-728-9010; [e-mail]; pet search and adoption applications: abandonedpetrescue.org