Miami, FL
Shelter dog dies in Miami-Dade County facility amid criticism over heat and conditions
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.
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.”
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.
A decision on whether Hialeah homeowners with a homestead exemption will receive a rebate has been postponed until Oct. 14, following debate at a city council meeting Tuesday.
Council debates rebate proposals
Council members discussed the proposal but did not reach an agreement, saying the money offered for a rebate was not enough and could hinder the city financially.
Interim Mayor Jaqueline Garcia-Roves, who is running for mayor in November, has been pushing to provide money to residents to ease financial burdens. Last week she proposed a $120 rebate.
Council member Jesus Tundidor, who is also running for mayor, has put forward higher figures.
Garcia-Roves backs $200 rebate
“I am proposing 200 dollars, if the council wants to go lower than that we definitely cannot go higher,” Garcia-Roves said. “I am cutting some projects a little shorter. There’s a lighting project that we’re assigning a million dollars a year, we’re going to lower it to 750,000 so it’s just a little bit.”
Tundidor pushes for $300
“I will be proposing a $300 rebate to homestead properties in the city of Hialeah,” Tundidor said. “It’s frustrating to see when we were having a discussion on the mileage rate. And today she wants and I intend to make sure the residents get their money back.”
Cost to the city
If the $200 rebate proposed by Garcia-Roves had been approved, it would have cost the city about $6.2 million, with funds coming from reserves and some projects, officials said.
Budget vote next week
The rebate proposal was not approved. Council members are scheduled to vote on the city’s budget next Thursday.
If they want to provide homeowners with a rebate, they will have to amend the budget.
The debate comes as Hialeah prepares for elections in November.
The Miami Dolphins have started the season 0-2 and will now have a short week to prepare for their AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills, who are off to a 2-0 start and again look like the class of the division. While Buffalo opened the season in sync and ready to go, Miami has looked like they are sleepwalking through the early part of the season as they have struggled to find their rhythm.
The opening odds for Week 3 have been released, and the oddsmakers have not missed how much of a mess Miami has been in the early portion of the season. The Dolphins are not just underdogs for a primetime game on the road on a short week, but they are nearly two-touchdown (with the extra point) underdogs. The opening odds as of Sunday evening have the Bills favored by 12.5 points. The point total is 49.5. The Dolphins are +610 for the straight-up upset win; the Bills are -900 on the moneyline.
Will the line grow to reach the two-touchdown (and extra points) mark? Will money bring the line back toward the Dolphins? And, more importantly, will Miami find a way to upset the Bills and come away with their first win of the season?
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MIAMI — The Miami Marlins beat the Detroit Tigers, 6-4, when Troy Johnston hit a walk-off homer – his second of the game – in the 11th inning.
The Tigers were locked in a 3-3 tie late against the Marlins at loanDepot Park in the middle contest of a three-game set on Saturday, Sept. 13.
Tigers reliever Tommy Kahnle, who was pitching for just the second time in six days, was given the eighth inning and he shut down Miami – three up, three down – with nine pitches. That’s a good sign for the Tigers’ postseason hopes.
After the Tigers failed to score in the ninth, right-hander Will Vest was brought in. Vest had not pitched since Sunday, Sept. 7, but he came out sharp. After getting the first two batters, Victor Mesa Jr. hit a sharp liner to left field but Riley Greene tracked it down.
In the 10th, Vest returned for his second inning and it was wildly dramatic. To open the inning, Javier Sanoja popped up a bunt and Vest caught it and fired to second, doubling off Mesa, on second as the automatic runner. But any sense of relief was short-lived. After the Marlins put runners on second and third, Liam Hicks lined out to Trey Sweeney at short.
In the 11th, the Tigers took the lead when Wenceel Pérez doubled to right, knocking in Greene, the free runner, to open the inning. Soon after, Colt Keith was walked to load the bases with nobody out. Dillon Dingler struck out. After the Marlins turned to lefty Josh Simpson, he threw a wild pitch, but the ball bounced off the backstop and Spencer Torkelson, coming home from third, was tagged out at the plate. The Marlins then intentionally walked Jahmai Jones and struck out Parker Meadows to hold the Tigers to one run from a bases loaded with no outs situation.
Rafael Montero pitched the 11th, and nearly got out of a runners-on-first-and-third jam, inducing a ground ball from Heriberto Hernández to defensive replacement Javier Báez. But the Tigers couldn’t turn the double play, and the Marlins tied it up and brought Johnston back to the plate.
The Tigers (84-65) will finish this six-game, two-city road trip on Sunday, Sept. 13 (1:40 p.m., FanDuel Sports Network Detroit) with a bullpen game against the Marlins (70-79). Detroit’s magic number to clinch the American League Central remained at eight, with the Tigers’ division lead on Cleveland shrinking to seven games, with the Guardians playing the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.
Charlie Morton dances through trouble
Right-hander Charlie Morton got the start for the Tigers and he spent the better part of the afternoon walking through a minefield of his own making.
Miami scored first off an Agustín Ramírez double, a Dingler throwing error and an Otto Lopez single. Not that it really mattered, but he probably would have scored even without the throwing error.
Morton made the situation more dramatic when he was called for a balk – after throwing to first three times without picking off the runner – and Lopez advanced to second. But Morton got out of it when Hernández grounded out to third.
He got into trouble in the second when he walked Acosta, he advanced to second on a ground out and scored off a Javier Sanoja double. After walking Marsee, he was in serious trouble. But he got out of it by striking out Ramirez to end the inning.
He got into trouble again in the third inning after a pair of walks but got out of it when Maximo Acosta grounded out to thid as Colt Keith made a nice running throw.
Morton was done after four innings, giving up two runs. He gave up three hits and walked four but had four strikeouts.
Melton gives Tigers a chance to win it
Troy Melton, the 24-year-old rookie right hander, had another solid performance, pitching in his 13th game.
He gave up a tying homer to Johnston – who came into the game with just one in his career – in the sixth inning but Melton was otherwise solid. He went three innings and tried to sneak annother inning in by walking to the middle of the dugout, but Tigers manager A.J. Hinch walked down the dugout to track him down and shake his hand, signalling the end of his outing.
Melton threw three innings, giving up a run off two hits and left the game after the seventh inning with the score tied, 3-3.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.
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