Rocky, a 3 to 4-year-old pit bull terrier mix, died last weekend at Miami-Dade County’s overflow animal shelter in Medley after rapidly deteriorating from apparent heat-related distress, according to local reports and social media posts from the agency.
The dog appeared healthy during his morning walk before becoming lethargic and vomiting in his kennel, according to NBC 6 South Florida. Despite emergency treatment at the facility’s clinic and the main Doral shelter, veterinarians were unable to stabilize Rocky, leading to his death.
Newsweek reached out to the Miami-Dade County Animal Services via email outside of normal business hours for comment on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Rocky’s death has intensified scrutiny of animal shelter conditions across Miami-Dade County, particularly regarding temperature control during extreme heat periods in Florida. The incident has sparked widespread community concern and social media outcry about potentially unsafe conditions at municipal animal facilities…