Amy Restucci had heard stories of abandoned animals in Homestead, Redland and the Everglades. She went south from her Palm Beach County home with other pet lovers, and first discovered a starving pit bull last September.
“It was so bad, we couldn’t turn our backs on it,” she said. Since then, Restucci spends most weekends searching for abandoned animals in south Miami-Dade County. “We just come with our cars loaded with crates, and we grab as many as we can,” she said.
The trouble is finding them a place to live. The county shelter doesn’t have enough room to keep alive the animals she rescues. Director Alex Muñoz says he’s heard reports of people dumping animals in the Homestead area, but “we haven’t caught anybody in the act,” he said.
In response, Muñoz’s agency organized a weekend mobile spay and neuter effort in Homestead, which was completely booked before his staff arrived. He’s planning another one "in the near future," he said.
In October, Restucci found a starving dog in an abandoned home in Homestead, and named him Midnight. In January, she made arrangements to take him to a veterinarian who specializes in behavior therapy because the dog has become aggressive.
“This is my full time job. This is what I do,” said Restucci, who works for an animal advocacy agency, but rescues dogs and cats on her own time. “We really need help,” she said.
She needs help in the form of adopting homes and donations. To learn more about Restucci’s rescue group, called 100+, click her facebook link here.
