Making the Right Choice

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At Paws4You, It’s Also About the Right Master

When Carolina Freund Decided It Was Time to Find a New Canine Companion, She Turned to Paws4You. The Gables Resident and Business Owner Had Heard About the Dog-Adoption Center From a Friend Who Volunteered There.

As it turns out, PAWS4you is the closest adoption center to the Gables, frequently visited by City Beautiful residents. “I had followed them on Instagram for a long time, and when my childhood dog passed away, I decided to go to PAWS4you and see what dogs were available,” says Freund. “We’ve always adopted dogs just from the Humane Society, so I thought it might be nice to support PAWS4you and find a dog from their shelter.”

At the center, which is located just off U.S. 1 opposite Pinecrest, she discovered a dog named Moomoo – now Olivia. “I had already looked online and saw a couple of dogs that I thought were just adorable and sweet – like, I would take all of them if I could. And then I met my Olivia, who used to be called Moomoo.” There was something about her quiet demeanor, says Freund, who felt an immediate connection with the puppy.

The question then became whether Freund was right for the dog. “They did a pretty thorough background check on me, which is another thing that’s great about them,” says Freund. “They really vet the people adopting the dogs, to make sure that they find the best homes.”

Freund passed the test, which included bringing her family’s other dog – a five-year-old rescue named Jack – to the shelter to make sure they were compatible. “We took them outside, both of them on leashes, and see if they were friendly with each other. And they were,” she says. “Today they get along just wonderfully. She’s like the annoying little sister, and he’s like the mature, you know, professor-like older brother,” says Freund. “It’s absolutely adorable.”

For PAWS4you, Freund’s adoption was one of some 500 successful placements the shelter manages each year. Founded by executive director Carol Caridad, PAWS4you started “very humbly” as a foster-based rescue in 2007, becoming a full-service bricks-andmortar adoption and boarding center in 2013. Caridad, who had worked in the veterinary medical supply business, decided to devote her life finding homes for homeless dogs after adopting a stray in New York when she attended college at NYU.

“I was volunteering with other animal rescue organizations and seeing firsthand the tremendous overpopulation problem in Miami-Dade County and the number of healthy, adoptable dogs at risk of euthanasia,” she says. “I kept thinking, ‘There has to be more we can do.’”

Today PAWS4you has a full-time staff of eight, with another 150 volunteers who collectively contribute more than 700 hours every month. “They [the volunteers] are absolutely essential to everything we do, from cleaning the kennels to bathing and caring for the dogs, walking them, and helping at adoption events and fundraising programs.” The shelter has room for 100 dogs and spends about $100,000 annually on their medical care. Dogs are never euthanized; some of the older, less-adoptable ones may spend the rest of their lives there. Since their founding in 2007, they have placed more than 15,000 dogs in homes.

Paws4You
8717 SW 134th St.
Miami
(786) 242-7377