19 Dogs Rescued from Hoarding Situation Seeking Homes

Miami-Dade Animal Services calls on community to foster or adopt rescued pups

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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Nearly two dozen dogs were rescued from a hoarding situation in South Florida and are now looking for their forever homes. The Miami-Dade Animal Services took in the 19 dogs, most of them pit bull mixes, after the owner surrendered them, saying he was overwhelmed. The dogs are in overall decent shape, but the shelter says they will need time to decompress from the stressful transition.

Why it matters

Hoarding situations can be harmful to both the animals and the people involved. This rescue highlights the need for the community to support animal welfare organizations and provide loving homes for pets in need.

The details

The neighbors were concerned about the well-being of the pets and the people living in the house. The owner surrendered the dogs to Miami-Dade Animal Services, who brought the 19 dogs, including several mothers, to their Doral headquarters. Officials say the situation at the owner's home was such that the animals were not spayed or neutered, leading to repeated breeding. While the dogs' condition is not the worst the shelter has seen, they will need time and care to adjust to their new environment.

  • The dogs were rescued and brought to the shelter on Wednesday.

The players

Miami-Dade Animal Services

The local animal welfare organization that rescued the dogs and is now seeking adopters or fosters for them.

Gabriella Dominguez

A spokesperson for Miami-Dade Animal Services who provided details about the rescue and the condition of the dogs.

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What they’re saying

“The neighbors were concerned for not just the well-being of the pets, but the people living in the house as well. The owner simply, you know, just kind of like surrendered, essentially. And he's like, you know, 'Go ahead and take them. I'm overwhelmed with them, and they're going to be better off in your care.'”

— Gabriella Dominguez, Spokesperson, Miami-Dade Animal Services (wsvn.com)

“Thankfully, the pets, even though they lived in those conditions, their condition is overall decent. Not the best, but not the worst that we've seen.”

— Gabriella Dominguez, Spokesperson, Miami-Dade Animal Services (wsvn.com)

“These pets will need to decompress. They're now coming into a completely different environment. It's very stressful here, unfortunately, so it's going to take a lot of work that we're going to have to put into these dogs, and the community usually will help us out the most by fostering these animals.”

— Gabriella Dominguez, Spokesperson, Miami-Dade Animal Services (wsvn.com)

What’s next

Miami-Dade Animal Services is calling on the community to help find adopters or fosters who want to provide these dogs with loving temporary or permanent homes.

The takeaway

This rescue highlights the importance of community support for animal welfare organizations and the need for responsible pet ownership to prevent hoarding situations that can harm both animals and people.