Happy National Dog Day - Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, is celebrated as International Dog Day, in the United States.

Lil Timmy and Bailey are happy to wish everyone a "Happy National Dog" Day in Palmetto Bay, Miami-Dade County, FL.

Bailey - above left, Timmy - above right.

Happy National Dog Day - Monday, Aug. 26, 2019, is celebrated as International Dog Day, in the United States.

Lil Timmy loves to celebrate his "Gotcha Day" of June 29, 2014 - See Prior related Photo of the Day Post - It’s Lil Timmy's very first Gotcha Day! He is Meredith's loyal canine companion, adopted from the Miami-Dade County Animal Services.

Support your local pet rescue group. There are many more animals looking for a home where they help improve your own life. Don't take it from me, check out WebMD - 5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health.

CLICK HERE to view prior related posts relating to dogs and dog events previously held in Palmetto Bay.

Politics and dogs are intertwined, 

The friendship of a dog is precious. It becomes even more

so when one is so far removed from home….I have a 

Scottie. In him I find consolation and diversion…he is 

the one person to whom I can talk without the 

conversation coming back to war.

—Dwight D. Eisenhower

and, finally, one of the all time classics quotes:

I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons.

—Will Rogers

Have you ever watch the famous "Checker's Speech" delivered by Richard Nixon? Here is your chance:

Happy National Dog Day - Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020

 Lil Timmy and Bailey are happy to wish everyone a "Happy National Dog" Day in Palmetto Bay, Miami-Dade County, FL.

Bailey - above left, Timmy - above right.

Happy National Dog Day - Aug. 26, is celebrated as International Dog Day, in the United States.

Lil Timmy loves to celebrate his "Gotcha Day" of June 29, 2014 - See Prior related Photo of the Day Post - It’s Lil Timmy's very first Gotcha Day! He is Meredith's loyal canine companion, adopted from the Miami-Dade County Animal Services.

Support your local pet rescue group. There are many more animals looking for a home where they help improve your own life. Don't take it from me, check out WebMD - 5 Ways Pets Can Improve Your Health.

CLICK HERE to view prior related posts relating to dogs and dog events previously held in Palmetto Bay.

Politics and dogs are intertwined, 

The friendship of a dog is precious. It becomes even more

so when one is so far removed from home….I have a 

Scottie. In him I find consolation and diversion…he is 

the one person to whom I can talk without the 

conversation coming back to war.

—Dwight D. Eisenhower

and, finally, one of the all time classics quotes:

I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons.

—Will Rogers

Have you ever watch the famous "Checker's Speech" delivered by Richard Nixon? Here is your chance:

April 11 is National Pet Day

Its #NationalPetDay

To err is human—to forgive, canine.
—Unknown

NATIONAL PET DAY

April 11 is National Pet Day.  While loving our pets is something we do every day, National Pet Day encourages us to pay special attention to pets who may not get that extra attention.  Helping out orphaned pet companions will improve their health and improve their opportunities for adoption.

Sometimes their human companions aren’t well.  Making sure their forever furry friends are receiving the best of care will help relieve stress and worry.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Take supplies to those pets in shelters.  Help a friend with pets who is recovering from an illness.  Adopt a pet.Use #NationalPetDay on social media.

 

Above left - Bailey Hanging with celeb dog at 2016 Paw's for U Howl O Ween. 

Right - the late Ginger hanging on the patio with Lil Timmy

 
Also see other relevant posts: June 29, 2014, Lil Timmy's Gotcha today - June 29, 2014 - Photo of the Day regarding Lil Timmy's very first Gotcha Day! He is Meredith's loyal canine companion, adopted from the Miami-Dade County Animal Services.  

Above left - the infamous "lil TImmy".  Right - Bailey at PTS Dog Wash fundraiser October 15, 2016

Happiness is a warm puppy.
—Charles M. Schulz

 

 Above - Cutler Bay Mayor Peggy Bell

Acquiring a dog may be the only time a person gets

to choose a relative.
—Mordecai Siegal

 Also see August 2, 2016, Dogs of Summer - a doggone good time - there were adoptions and microchipping - and fun! as this was a great event I was proud to Co-Sponsor - part of the District 8 and tri-city collaboration - as the psot states (and pictures show - It was a big dog party and a great dog party! Again, for this event (and others) I want to officially thank Miami-Dade County Animal Services and our County Commissioner, Daniella Levine Cava, for a wonderful event - the Dogs of Summer:

This event resulted in
ASD: 4 adoptions
Dogs in Crisis: 4 puppies, 1 adult dog and 1 cat
25 pets micro chipped
2 spay/neuter appointments made at the Humane Society
2 applications to foster dogs at This is the Dog organization 

Enjoy your pets - adopt, don't shop and please attend our next adoption event scheduled as part of Palmetto Bay's Earth Week (2017) events.

The friendship of a dog is precious. It becomes even more

so when one is so far removed from home….I have a 

Scottie. In him I find consolation and diversion…he is 

the one person to whom I can talk without the 

conversation coming back to war.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower

and, finally, one of the all time classics quotes:

I love a dog. He does nothing for political reasons.

Will Rogers

October 1 - National Dog Day #AdoptDontShop

It's National Black Dog Day.

This should not be single day event. Officially, National Black Dog Day on October 1st encourages the adoption of a dog in the darker shades. Black dogs are less likely to be adopted for no other reason than their coloring.

Our Lil Timmy was adopted from Miami-Dade Animal Services. It has been my pleasure to adopt other dogs from our local groups including Friends Forever Rescue, Paws 4 You.

We have cats that have adopted us as well as through Cat Network and Love Future Foundation.

There are many groups that deserve mention and don’t get enough credit for their hard work, the member devotion to animals. Think of them when you are ready for a pet - #AdoptDontShop

Anti-Dog legislation on agenda in Palmetto Bay. Why are dog owners being singled out?

             Dog owners need to take a close look at Agenda Item 12.A., This is an ordinance scheduled for first reading this Monday, April 7, 2014, by the Palmetto Bay Village Council. This ordinance is sponsored solely by Mayor Stanczyk and it represents a major change from the existing reasonable noise ordinance.

            The current noise ordinance provides for restrictions on noise between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (later on weekends) and also provides that a “barking dog” shall be considered a nuisance if it barks or bays for a period of longer than twenty minutes.  These are reasonable restrictions which prevent homeowners from leaving animals out to annoy neighbors all day, or keeping neighbors awake at night. This current code can be found online: Sec.30-60.29. Noises – [scroll down to (e)(5) Animals].

            The proposed ordinance goes much further. The complete can be found online at: http://www.palmettobay-fl.gov/sites/all/files/documents/agendasminutes/item_12.a_0.pdf.

This is a proposed amendment to our Palmetto Bay zoning code specifically targeting barking dogs and someone’s new opinion about what constitutes a “public nuisance animal”. It provides for more stringent rules and puts only pet owners at risk for fines levied against their homes based solely upon subjective standards and the owner of any animal deemed a public nuisance animal, “… including barking dogs …” “shall be deemed to be in violation of this article regardless of the knowledge, intent or culpability of the owner.” (emphasis added - Contained in subparagraph (5). I was hoping that this was an April Fools’ Day prank, as it was posted to the village website on April 1^st, but it is now April 2^nd and it is still there.

This will have a profound and adverse impact on innocent dog owners and you need to be made aware of it. It is directly solely at property owners who have pets. The proposed process does not extend to any other items that people may complain of - loud parties or early morning noise in violation of the noise ordinance like lawn maintenance or construction that starts in violation of the noise ordinance. It doesn’t extend to repairing race cars in one’s yard or even mowing the lawn more than once a week. No, this ordinance is solely directed at pet owners.  It essentially states that, should a neighbor claim that a dog is barking excessively (more than five barks per hour), a fine will be levied.  It is not required that anyone other than the complaining neighbor hear the dog.

This will become a real tool for a vindictive neighbor who wants to target a pet owner, not to mention someone who simply has an unreasonable dislike for animals. And yet someone who does not want to be "a bad guy' by turning in the offensive neighbor will still have to 'suffer in silence.' My fear is that this process will in fact be expanded to other situations – thus setting up neighborhood feuds.

I was unaware as to how bad the living conditions must be in Palmetto Bay. Barking dogs are a crisis requiring drastic new rules? Can you imagine a senior citizen having to give up the family dog because their toy poodle happens to bark 5 times in an hour, more than once during a single month, thus facing a $500 fine?  Do you want to tell your children that you have to get rid of the family pet because a neighbor has targeted you because your dog barks occasionally?  Do dogs not occasionally bark? Mine does; especially when chasing balls or running with family members. Or when a neighbor lawn service starts up, or mango thieves enter our front yard (good dog!) or when another dog walks by (we are, or used to be, a friendly dog-walking community).

An occasional dog bark falls into the category of “normal suburban noise.”  We do not live in the country, so occasionally, we will hear our neighbors talk, do yard work, start their cars, play with their children, splash in their pools, and yes, hear their dogs bark.  By all means, dogs should not bark for an hour.  But an occasional bark is a fact of life.

No more playing with the dog outside should it make noise? How is that family friendly? That is just sad. This is not the vision so many of us have for living as a functioning community in Palmetto Bay.

If such a law was really needed, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a provision in this law that protected pet owners from malicious or frivolous claims, to make you whole for costs (and potential attorney’s fees) you have to put out to defend yourself in the “Civil Citation Hearing Before Special Master [numbered subparagraph (2) of the proposed ordinance]?  There is no intent to create a level playing field here.  This is a dog silencing ordinance. It is interesting that there is no ability of neighbors surrounding the Thalatta Estate to seek similar redress when that place gets rocking each weekend. 

Village leaders should not abdicate their enforcement responsibilities to residents.  This power to initiate a fine levy will only led to spreading the current dysfunction on the village council into neighborhood dysfunction. This is why we hire professionals – our well-trained police and code enforcement officers to step into these situations and make trained judgments. They are impartial.  If a police or code enforcement officer is called and hears a dog barking excessively, a fine will be levied under the existing noise ordinance.  If the dog is not barking enough for the police to notice, this likely means that the barking is not excessive.

Has Palmetto Bay finally “gone to the dogs”? This is a bad proposal. As one of the village founders, we promised those skeptical of incorporation that they would not be subject to restrictive codes – “no Coral Gables type rules.”  This proposal is much more draconian.  This proposed ordinance can be seen as another covenant with the people broken by the current mayor.

Please respond to me as to your review of this proposal.

Thank you.

Eugene Flinn

Happy Earth Day - 2020. Outdoor activities move to virtual and limited for this year. Keep pushing for sustainability.

Where are we in regards to protecting our fragile ecosystem?

Do you know the approximate age of the Earth? 4.543 billion years. Yet today, 4/22/2020 is just the 50th Earth Day celebration. ACTING on Earth Day is more than just a movie night, it is taking action and participating, doing things differently, ending (sub)Urban Sprawl.
 

 A brief history of Earth Day: The April 22 Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, and was first organized in 1970 to promote ecology and respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problems of air, water and soil pollution.

Prior relevant blog posts: Some relevant posts on my personal blog include Invasive Species, creating a backyard oasis, Celestial Events: there have been many posts throughout this blog covering these topics and how they are relevant to our South Miami-Dade Communities. Please take the time to check a few out. It is all about my transparency. I am about preservation of Palmetto Bay. That means thinking differently, saving the 22 acres of the rapidly deteriorating Pine Rocklands at the Palmetto Bay Village Center.

Finally, on a silly, but fun note, no special day is complete without viewing Google's special Earth Day animated doodle on the Google site.

Happy Earth Day – 2020!

Eugene Flinn

Special note for 2020- the Coronavirus Pandemic has place restrictions on the activities, but should not curb anyone's enthusiasm toward our events.  

The original council worked hard to lay a great foundation to last through raining days - or a pandemic, to be different and make the simple things, like Arbor Day and Earth Day, into fun, engaging, and positive educational events.  As Mayor, I initiated the Lady Bug release at area schools, and even added a release at the Ken Robinson Memorial Gardens at Coral Reef Park for the movie night. 

We brought internationally known Eco Artist Xavier Cortada to Ludovici Park to participate in the 2010 Arbor Day event.

We engaged the Green Mobility network to put together an outstanding family bike ride that included environmental talks including South Florida Water Management District speakers at designated rest stops. 

We partnered with the Nature's Posting, Tropical Audubon Society (TAS) and volunteers including resident Beth Kibler, to provide guided kayak/canoe trips from Snowden's / Deering Point. Residents were able to view the mangroves and learn about the native birds and other bay animals and plants of this South Florida ecosystem – and appreciate Palmetto Bay from the Bay for several years. (CLICK HERE)

We took advantage of special relationships and the talents of residents located in Palmetto Bay who participated in the 2008 movie night during Earth Week, bringing out the actual owls from the movie "Hoot."  We worked with area private schools that brought their students out and participated in area clean ups (The Magical Musical Litter-Bus Tour).  We even had groups such as Friends Forever jump in on impromptu cleanup of the Dog Park in honor of Earth Day!

We will return to those activities once this pandemic is over.  I look forward to participating with friends, neighbors and collegues in the very near future.

Happy Earth Day - 2022. Green, then silver, then Gold. Keep pushing for sustainability.

Where are we in regards to protecting our fragile ecosystem?

Do you know the approximate age of the Earth? 4.543 billion years. Yet today, 4/22/2022 is just the 52nd Earth Day celebration. ACTING on Earth Day is more than just a movie night, it is taking action and participating, doing things differently, ending (sub)Urban Sprawl. Sometimes it takes real change; more than photo ops.

A brief history of Earth Day: The April 22 Earth Day was founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson, and was first organized in 1970 to promote ecology and respect for life on the planet as well as to encourage awareness of the growing problems of air, water and soil pollution.

I am proud to have led Palmetto Bay and created more than a simple Earth Day Celebration, but set Palmetto Bay to be committed to Earth Day 24/7/365. We don’t just recognize a day, we were in big, in such a big way, that we take a full week to celebrate. We continue to involve our youth in partnership with the local schools as they are going to inherit what we leave behind.

2018 was a milestone year for Palmetto Bay as I was pleased to announce on July 20, 2018, that Palmetto Bay was certified by the FGBC as a Green City. Next stop is Silver and then Gold Certification so long as the subsequent councils continue to subscribe to the green footprints cast before them.

 

 

Participating in a python hunt to 
remove an invasive species

I remain proud of my accomplishments to date as well as my ongoing commitment to continue the vision and work to further and exceed these past accomplishments, including:

Palmetto Bay seeks to become a model community for energy savings and environmental conservation. The Municipal Center is a testament to this goal. For more information, please feel free to review the following Official Palmetto Bay webpages:

• Have You Heard? Green is the New Black!
• Palmetto Bay Green Page
  And a few of my past blog posts, including:
• May 4, 2018, Great response to our solar initiatives. Thank you to all who have participated.
• October 9, 2012, Great news. It is official. Palmetto Bay's Village Hall receives Platinum LEED certification.
• August 23, 2017, The Smart Growth Partnership - The Village of Palmetto Bay wins a smart growth award for its DUV Code.
• Also see the article posted online through the Southeast Florida Regional Compact (an organization I have sponsored participating with):  Village Hall LEED Platinum Certified Facility
• Obtaining certification of the first Green Certified municipal building in Miami-Dade County (our Parks building at Coral Reef Park).
• Solar power initiatives.  Co-sponsoring Solar Co-Ops
• Prime sponsor of permit fee waiver initiatives for Solar Panel initiative.
• Championing the efforts to purchase and preserve Thalatta Estate - working with the willing seller to buy the property through the Trust for Public Lands and Florida Communities Trust to bring this property into public ownership for all to enjoy.
• Went electronic, eliminating paper - for e-newsletters - first created e-currents and now "Your Village At Work."
• Tree City USA Designation
• Working for recognition of our green spaces as Florida-Friendly Landscapes. Note that in our Village of Parks, Coral Reef, Palmetto Bay and Perrine Wayside Dog Park were recognized on June 18, 2018. 
• I have also actively worked to support the efforts of community groups such as LivableCutler at the county and state level to halt over development. These efforts led to public acquisition of 130 acres earmarked for CERP/BBCW. My entire family have been part of the volunteer effort to restore the acquired coastal wetlands.
• Finally – I established a Palmetto Bay “Environmentalist of the Year” Award – to recognize and encourage environmental action.

Prior relevant blog posts: Some relevant posts on my personal blog include Invasive Species, creating a backyard oasis, Celestial Events: there have been many posts throughout this blog covering these topics and how they are relevant to our South Miami-Dade Communities. Please take the time to check a few out. It is all about my transparency. I am about preservation of Palmetto Bay. That means thinking differently, saving the 22 acres of the rapidly deteriorating Pine Rocklands at the Palmetto Bay Village Center.

Happy Earth Day – 2022!

Eugene Flinn

This weekend! Dogs of Summer Adoption & Training Expo, Sat. June 23, 10 AM to 2 PM at Coral Reef Park

A day with your dog at Coral Reef Park. Come on out with your furry friend. Don't have one? Animal services will be there to offer some for adoptions!

EVENT:   Dogs of Summer Adoption & Training Expo

WHEN:    Sat. June 23, 10 AM to 2 PM

WHERE: Coral Reef Park. 7895 SW 152nd Street

Held last in Coral Reef Park in July of 2016.  It was a big dog party and a great dog party!

Please review my blog (and view photos) post from 8/2/16: Dogs of Summer - a doggone good time - there were adoptions and microchipping - and fun!

Please come on out and participate.

Quincy

What to expect: Mix with friends and neighbors along with their pets, see a MDPD K-9 Unit demonstration, Canine Contest, Training workshops by local experts, Important information on spaying and neutering pets, HOPE Express with on-site adoptions from Miami-Dade Animal Services, and a Dog Wash!

WHY:       “Every dog must have his day.” – Jonathan Swift (author, Gulliver’s Travels)

“If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man.” – Mark Twain (Author, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)

Photos below were taken at the 2016 event:

A good day for Scooby - lost and reunited in Palmetto Bay - thanks to all who helped

Not all lost dogs situations result in a happy reuniting.  This one ended well.  I want to publicly thank those who assisted. I am posting this as it was yet a second example of "It Takes A Village" here in Palmetto Bay. There is much more to this story than a simply lost and returned dog. We are following up and doing what we can.  Please read on.

It started about noon on Sunday, May 6, 2018 when Code Enforcement officer Alan White found Scooby wandering a gas station off Franjo Road and 180th Street. The dog was very friendly, had a collar, but no tag. Ofc White indicated that the dog was very friendly and was even trying to jump into the truck.  We feared that the dog possibly had been dumped.

After discussions, Ofc White spoke with Carol at Paws 4 You Rescue to provide a safe temporary hold while we attempted to locate the owner – including through my social media.

I posted the photos (also posted here) in an attempt to locate the owner.  I want to thank everyone who followed up on trying to locate the owner. Thank you Sue Erhardt who saw the post and responded with the names for both the pet (Scooby) and pet owner’s (Ann – she will be identified solely by her first name) as well as the contact number.

I contacted Ann to tell her where her dog was. Ann advised that she has no transportation.  She is living apart from her dog due to her residing with a friend in an apartment that does not allow pets. This has required her to temporarily place Scooby with a friend here in Palmetto Bay.

I offered to go to Paws 4 You to pick up her dog and reunite everyone. I picked Scooby up from Paws 4 You, and drove him to pick up Ann, the plan being to return Scooby to his temporary home in Palmetto Bay.  Was Scooby happy to see Ann!  I also assisted Ann by placing the County Tags on Scooby’s collar as well as trying to assist in further securing his accommodations to prevent another wandering.

I want to thank Aubrey of Paws 4 You for taking great care of Scooby while at the kennel (Paws 4 You Rescue has a Kennel for private owners in addition to the Rescue operations). More on Paws 4 You at the bottom of this post.

Ann later told me that she is unable to have Scooby micro chipped at this time.  She is living apart from her dog as she is looking for accommodations that will allow her to remain with Scooby, her longtime companion.  I have referred Ann to our commissioner and they will work to see what can be accomplished for her. 

I would like to see how we can get Scooby micro chipped.  Palmetto Bay has hosted the location for Miami-Dade County’s pet events.  Our Dogs of Summer Event of 2016 included free microchipping – I have not yet received confirmation as to whether this service will be offered in June, 2018 (collars come off, but properly registered microchips last for the life of your furry friend).

Thank you to:

Ofc. Alan White, Code Officer, Palmetto Bay

Everyone who participated in, including forwarding the Social Media search/posting

Sue Erhardt – who advised me of the name of Scooby, Ann and her contact number

Carol Caridad, Paws 4 You Rescue, Inc.

Aubrey (last name – omitted) Paws 4 You Rescue, Inc.
Ann's friends who are providing a place for Scooby this interim place to live.

This is a good time to mention that I am excited to once again partner with our County Commissioner on the 2018 Dogs of Summer event set for Coral Reef Park next month (June 23, 2018, beginning at 10:00 AM). 

Please see my prior post of Saturday, July 16 - 10 am - 2 pm - Dogs Of Summer Training And Adoption Expo! Concerning the event I co-hosted, held jointly with Miami-Dade County Commissioner Levine Cava, Pinecrest, Cutler Bay and Palmetto Bay on Saturday, July 16 from 10 am - 2 pm  for the Dogs Of Summer Training And Adoption Expo!

Once again, don’t miss this pawesome  event and information workshop for you and your pup!

Finally, about Paws 4 You Rescue, Inc:

Paws 4 You Rescue, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit, volunteer, donor-subsidized animal rescue organization based in Miami, Florida.  Our top priority is to save dogs from euthanasia at Miami-Dade Animal Services, where more than 27,000 unwanted pets end up each year.

Rescued animals vary from being sick, injured, homeless and surrendered to simply lost. We give these animals a safe environment at our shelter, professional medical care, hope and lots of love. Our animals are sterilized, vaccinated and ID micro-chipped to prevent future loss.

Some require major surgery from a specialist to repair broken limbs while others may need additional rehabilitation time and specific medical care - ranging from respiratory illnesses and skin infections to cherry eyes and heartworm treatments.  Once Paws 4 You Rescue commits to helping an animal, we seek the best quality treatment available - taking no shortcuts. 

Additionally, we believe in the value of education pertaining to the importance of spaying and neutering.  Pet overpopulation is a serious problem in our county and by sterilizing your pet, you help relieve the strain on Miami-Dade Animal Services and our community.

Paws 4 You Rescue, Inc. is located at:

8480 SW 146th St

Miami, FL 33158

Phone:  (305) 796-1017

Website:             www.paws4you.org

--------------------------------------------------------------

Again, thank you to all that help in distributing the social media posts, the identification of Scooby and owner Ann, making Scooby safe and being on the lookout for the benefit of friends, neighbors and pets!.  It really does take a village!