Where to Adopt a Dog in Miami: Shelters and Rescues

Miami has hundreds of dogs waiting for homes on any given day. Where you adopt shapes the whole experience: how fast it goes, what it costs, how much you'll know about the dog, and how much support you'll get afterward. Here are the main options in Miami-Dade, side by side.

Fees, hours and steps were checked on each organization's website on Oct. 9, 2026. They change, so confirm before you go.

The Short Version

A higher fee doesn't mean a worse deal, and a lower fee doesn't mean a lesser dog. Fees mostly reflect who pays for the dog's care: county shelters are partly funded by taxes, while private rescues rely on fees and donations.

Miami-Dade Animal Services (County Shelter)

The county's open-admission shelter takes in strays and surrendered pets from across Miami-Dade, so it has the most dogs and often the most urgent need. Adopting here frees up a kennel for the next dog that comes in.

• Where: Pet Adoption and Protection Center, 3599 NW 79th Ave, Doral (Mon–Fri 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sat–Sun 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Medley shelter, 7401 NW 74th St (Sat–Sun 1–4 p.m.). Closed on county holidays.
• Fee: $65 for dogs over 4 months, $85 for puppies under 4 months.
• Included: Vaccines, deworming, microchip and spay/neuter. Dogs over 6 months also get a heartworm test, and Miami-Dade residents get a rabies license tag. Very young or small puppies have surgery scheduled within 30 days.
• Bring: Photo ID, proof of address (a utility bill or lease works), and a collar and leash. You must be 18 or older.
• Browse first: Search adoptable dogs online at 24Petconnect (opens in a new tab) and note the Animal ID of any dog you'd like to meet.

Good fit if: you want to save a life fast, are comfortable meeting dogs in a busy kennel, and can handle some unknowns about a dog's past.

Humane Society of Greater Miami

A private, limited-admit shelter with an adoption guarantee: animals it takes in aren't euthanized for time, space or treatable medical issues.

• Where: Soffer and Fine Adoption Center, 16101 West Dixie Highway, North Miami Beach. Adoptions Tue–Sun, noon to 6:30 p.m.; closed Mondays and public holidays.
• Fee: $164 for dogs over 2 years, $274 for dogs under 2, $474 for high-demand dogs.
• Included: Spay/neuter, age-appropriate vaccines, a registered microchip and a month of heartworm and flea/tick prevention.
• How: Walk-ins welcome, first come, first served. You must be 18+ and have documented permission to keep a pet where you live. They recommend a meet-and-greet with your current dog.

Good fit if: you want a shelter setting with set hours, staff who know each dog, and a clear, quick process.

Foster-Based Rescues

Many Miami rescues have no building at all. Their dogs live in volunteer foster homes, so the foster can tell you how the dog acts with kids, cats, other dogs, car rides and being home alone.

Example: Miami Animal Rescue (100% foster-based, 501(c)(3)):

1. Apply for a specific dog online. Applications are reviewed in order, usually within 24 hours.
2. If approved, you're connected with the dog's foster.
3. Meet the dog at the foster home.
4. Sign the contract by email and pay the adoption donation ($499 for dogs and puppies).
5. Take your dog home.

Their fee includes spay/neuter, vaccines, a lifetime microchip, deworming, a free wellness visit and partner perks.

Good fit if: you want to know a dog's real-life personality before you commit, and don't mind a few days of back-and-forth.

Rescues With a Facility

Some rescues care for dogs at their own property and meet adopters by appointment.

Example: PAWS4you Rescue, 8717 SW 134th Street, Miami (by appointment and for events only). Check your lease or HOA pet rules, apply online, and expect an email reply within about a week. You can also meet the animals at their open house, usually noon to 2 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month. Every animal is spayed/neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and vetted before adoption.

Adopting From Bentley's Playhouse

We're a small, home-based Miami dog rescue, so we usually have only a few dogs at a time, and we get to know each one well. Our process:

1. Fill out our adoption application (opens in a new tab).
2. If your application is approved, we contact you for a 10- to 15-minute phone screening.
3. A home safety inspection.
4. A background check and vetting process.
5. If you're eligible, you sign the adoption contract.
6. You take your new best friend home.

We also share dogs from shelters, other rescues and families rehoming safely on Pawsome Pooches, updated weekly.

Online Adoption Sites

Petfinder (opens in a new tab), Adopt-a-Pet (opens in a new tab) and 24Petconnect (opens in a new tab) pull listings from many shelters and rescues into one search. They're a great way to browse, but every adoption still goes through the shelter or rescue that has the dog, with its own rules and fees.

Watch Out for These

• "Free to a good home" and rehoming ads. No screening, often no vet records, and dogs given away free can end up with backyard breeders or worse. Here's how to rehome safely.
• "Rescues" that sell puppies. A real rescue spays/neuters, asks you questions, and will take the dog back if it doesn't work out. If someone always has puppies of a trendy breed, won't let you see where they live, or wants cash with no contract, walk away.
• Deposits to hold a dog you haven't met. Never send money to someone you haven't verified.

Which Path Is Right for You?

• You want to help the most urgent dogs: the county shelter.
• You want a structured shelter visit and a set fee: the Humane Society.
• You want to know how a dog behaves in a home: a foster-based rescue.
• You're not sure you're ready: foster first. It's the best way to learn, and it saves a life too.

Before you go, read our questions to ask before you adopt and what to expect in the first three months.