Seven-year-old Melanie Rodriguez’s bright blue eyes were glued to the sad puppy dog eyes of a Beagle, as if the breed was waiting for her parents to take him home.
The little girl and the dog appeared to be so happy together, almost inseparable from the first time they spotted each other.
Melanie and her parents attended the Open Your Heart and Your Home mega pet adoption event and fund-raiser last month at Amelia Earhart Park in Hialeah.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr., the county’s Animal Services Department and the Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department sponsored the event, as a host of adorable dogs and cats found new homes.
Also during the occasion, 50 animals were adopted, 26 dogs and 32 cats were spayed or neutered, and more than $1,000 was raised for the county’s Animal Services Trust Fund to improve animal services in Miami-Dade.
In addition, the event featured low-cost vaccines, microchips and tags.
Participants included the Fire Department of Hialeah, Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, State Senator René García, Catholic Hospice, Fanci Pooch DaySpaw, Blue Bell Ice Cream, Handmade Backpacks, Pets Supermarket, Miami Coalition Against Breed Specific Legislation, Girl Scout Service Unit 42, IFAS 4-H Youth Development and the Miami-Dade County Elections Department.
“I want to thank all the sponsors, participants and volunteers who helped make this event such a great success, as well as everyone in the community who showed they cared by taking home a wonderful pet and opening their hearts to improve animal welfare in Miami-Dade County,” Bovo said.