Tereza Monteiro, a UFAR staff member with Nova, a four-year-old English
bulldog. {David Volz}
Kerry Giacomino is passionate about rescuing and rehoming stray cats and dogs to help as many animals as possible.
She is the director of the 2,500-square-foot United for Animals Rescue at 364 State Road 7.
Giacomino said the Margate operation needs a larger space and wants to move to a vacant city-owned building at 6030 Northwest 9th Street. The building has about 4,000 square feet and open grass areas for the animals to play in.
UFAR is a no-kill shelter with over 300 cats and 25 dogs. Over the past year, it has taken in about 800 animals and adopted 700.
“We receive stray animals brought to us by police or people who bring them to us. We get pets from owners who can no longer care for them,” she said.
According to Giacomino, renovating this building, which has been vacant for about ten years, would cost about $100,000. However, Margate may want to demolish it in a few years for further development.
On June 12, she requested access to the building from the Margate CRA.
Kerry Giacomino, director of UFAR, with a dog that is available for
adoption. {David Volz}
Mayor Tommy Ruzzano expressed some interest but was concerned that the money spent to renovate the building would be wasted if it had to be demolished to make way for development.
Commissioner Anthony Caggiano said he has rescued pets but is also concerned about the future of the building. “My job is to renovate the city. This building would only be a temporary fix for them,” he said.
Giacomino and the staff care about the animals and need a bigger facility.
“We are asking Margate to help by donating a building for use, and we are working to raise money for build-out. Our goal is to save as many animals as possible and be able to care for them in a facility that gives them a good quality of life.”
UFAR in Margate {Google Maps}
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