A recent death inside a Miami-Dade County animal shelter is sparking outrage among animal advocates who are calling for immediate changes to shelter conditions — particularly at an overflow facility in Medley.
Rocky, a 3 to 4-year-old black pit bull mix, died over the weekend while housed at the Medley shelter. Miami-Dade Animal Services confirmed his passing and said the exact cause of death remains under investigation, though they have sent samples to a lab for analysis.
“Our staff and volunteers both felt the loss of Rocky,” said Annette Jose, director of Miami-Dade County’s shelter system. “He was a very affectionate, cuddly dog, and they’re grieving his loss.”
According to shelter staff, Rocky appeared to be alert and playful Saturday morning. But by midday, a volunteer noticed the dog was lying down and had vomited.
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Rocky was rushed to the on-site clinic, where he received IV fluids. When his condition did not improve, he was taken to the main Doral shelter for further care. A veterinarian there determined he could not recover, and Rocky was humanely euthanized.
Animal rights advocates are already pointing fingers at the shelter’s infrastructure and rising temperatures.
“The conditions, the heat — especially during Miami’s extreme heat waves — are taking a toll. The dogs are suffering,” said Nicolette Acosta, a concerned citizen.
Photos taken inside the shelter by a former volunteer show kennel thermometers reading 91 degrees. Large yellow fans are visible, but critics say they’re ineffective.
“Fans that I witnessed were blowing past kennels into a concrete wall,” said Melissa French, a former volunteer. “They were placed horizontally, offering no relief for the animals—and no plan.”
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In response, the shelter director defended the facility, describing it as an open-air building with large industrial fans running continuously. Jose also emphasized the availability of cold water, shaded play areas, and small pools to help the animals stay cool.
“We’re providing the best care we can,” she said, acknowledging the challenges of operating during an overpopulation crisis.
Miami-Dade Animal Services is urging the public to consider adopting or fostering pets to help reduce overcrowding and improve conditions for the animals in their care.
Heat Magic Basketball Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts to his team as they play against the Orlando Magic during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Kevin Kolczynski) (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) (Kevin Kolczynski/AP)
ORLANDO. Fla. — The Miami Heat opened the 2025–26 regular season on the road Wednesday, falling to the in-state rival Orlando Magic, 125–121, in a back-and-forth matchup.
Norman Powell led Miami with 28 points in his Heat debut, while Bam Adebayo added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
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The Heat came out strong, scoring 39 points in the first quarter and hitting 6 of 11 from 3-point range to take a 39–38 lead — the highest-scoring quarter in the 143-game history between the teams.
Miami cooled off in the second quarter, scoring just 26 points as Orlando took a 69–65 lead into halftime.
The Heat’s shooting struggles continued in the second half, hitting only 1 of 8 from beyond the arc in the third, though their defense kept the game close. Miami led 91–90 entering the fourth quarter.
The Heat built a seven-point lead midway through the final period but went more than four minutes without a field goal. Jalen Suggs put the Magic ahead for good with a midrange jumper with 58.7 seconds remaining.
The loss marked Miami’s second straight season-opening defeat against Orlando.
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The Heat look to bounce back Friday when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies.
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Pablo Hernandez
Pablo Hernandez is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Cuba and has lived in Miami, Florida since 2002.
Inter Miami CF defender Noah Allen insists the team enters the MLS Cup playoffs with high expectations, emphasizing that anything less than lifting the trophy would be considered a failure.
“Yeah [it’s a failure for if Inter Miami don’t win MLS Cup]. We have high expectations for ourselves,” Allen said.
“I feel like we have the highest standard in ourselves and we want to win every trophy possible. Yeah, we want to win.”
Inter Miami concluded the MLS regular season in third place on the Eastern Conference table with 65 points, drawing Nashville SC for the best-of-three Round One playoff series.
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The Herons will host Nashville on Friday night at Chase Stadium for the first match, and secured home-field advantage for the potential third game due to table placement.
“I’m very excited about the playoffs. I have confidence in my team; we have the best of all time, and well, we’re really excited,” Rodrigo De Paul said.
“But football doesn’t always win the best or the one who deserves it most. We have to keep that percentage of luck as low as possible, and whatever work it takes, give everything we have to do our best so that the playoffs go our way.”
Inter Miami are familiar with their Round One opponent, concluding the regular-season campaign with a 5-2 triumph over Nashville on Oct. 18. Now the team will prepare for at least two more games against the same rival.
Lionel Messi, who scored three goals against Nashville in the final game to secure the 2025 MLS Golden Boot, failed to train in the first 15 minutes of the session on Oct. 21. The reason behind his absence is unknown.
Inter Miami were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in 2024 which has motivated them for this year’s post-season.
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“I feel like we have a good relationship between each other and I feel like we play good football with the ball. We keep a lot of possession and I just feel like we have to have that confidence that we are the best team in the league,” Allen said.
“Yeah, it’s not a sense of urgency. There’s not a panic or anything. It’s more of a motivation, right? And especially the guys that were here last year, I think everyone remembers it.
“And I think it’s been a message around the whole offense that everyone can understand is that it’s difficult, right?
“It’s not traditional, some players may agree, some players may not agree, but we have to do it. We have to win two games.”
After a preseason in which many of the Miami Heat guards missed time, the team is being hit now in a more vulnerable place on the roster.
It was expected that Tyler Herro and Kasparas Jakucionis wouldn’t be available for the season opener in Orlando on October 22, and neither practiced Monday. Also out, however, was someone who has been available as much as any NBA player the past couple of weeks:
Kel’el Ware.
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The second-year player coming off an All-Rookie season is being bothered by neck spasms, with coach Erik Spoelstra not giving much insight about when Ware will be back. This comes after Ware led all NBA players in preseason points, and several other categories, as the Heat pushed him to play frequently and passionately.
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While Ware isn’t expected to start — Nikola Jovic likely gets that nod next to Bam Adebayo — he is slotted for 25-plus minutes coming off the bench, especially since Miami is so short on bigs. The Heat just cut Precious Achiuwa, leaving only Keshad Johnson (an oversized wing who has been inconsistent) and two-way-contract rookie Vlad Goldin.
Playing Goldin against an Orlando Magic team with plenty of size — and skilled size such as Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner — is not ideal. Wendell Carter Jr. is likely the starting center for the Magic, and Goga Bitadze had a strong training camp.
The Heat are scheduled to practice again Tuesday before heading up the state.
It would be a welcome sight to see Ware back on the court.
