The Miami-Dade Elections Department in Doral went to the dogs Saturday as the Pets’ Voice — an organization promoting the no-kill initiative passed by voters in a 2012 non-binding referendum — bussed voters to the office for early voting from a canine obstacle course event they had at the Miami Airport Convention Center.
“Could have been a first,” said Michael Rosenberg, president of the Pet’s Voice and former the Pet’s Trust, which put the measure on the ballot and is now punishing the commissioners who voted against
it anyway.
Read related story: Good timing — Animal shelter event may benefit incumbent
“I don’t know if dogs have ever gone to vote, but they did Saturday in Miami,” Rosenberg said. “It was wild!”
Rosenberg told Ladra that at least 50 people had been taken to vote by their party bus, but they don’t know how everyone voted. He added that he called the state elections division to inquire as to what they could do and simply shuttled the voters to the voting location, without providing them with any literature.
The Pets’ Voice timed their “Doggie Fun Zone” event — with a fully-enclosed, fast-paced doggie race track — with early voting so that they could entice people to take the time and vote. They advertised it in th
e districts where they are pushing their candidates, Marjorie Figueira against incumbent Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz in District 12 and Daniella Levine Cava against Commissioner Lynda Bell in District 8.
“It is early voting time in Miami Dade County. For those of you who want to vote, the Pets’ Voice Express welcomes you and your dog to take a 10 minute journey, on a sleek 40-passenger, air-conditioned bus to the nearest voting location,” said the press release announcing the event all day Saturday. “You and your pet can take a break from the action and ride in super comfort to go vote together.
“The Pets’ Voice is about saving our animals. Let your pet have a “BARK” in this!!! It is their lives!! Ride the Pets’ Voice Express!!! And go VOTE!!!”
The $5 entry fee was waived if you had a voter’s registration card. Then you went in through a separate line and got to hear a spiel from candidate 
Figueira, who is being wholly supported by the Pets’ Voice in her bid to unseat Diaz.
Read related story: District 12 race heats up with Goliath beating on David
Through his PAC, Diaz already filed a complaint against the Pet’s Voice for using committee in its literature without filing as a political committee.
Diaz supporters say the group is violating all sorts of campaign finance laws by fronting costs for the candidate without the full and required disclosures.
Rosenberg said that they are not required as a 501c4 to disclose until their annual report once a year. And that they have a little more money than the $20,000 given to them, supposedly, by car mogul Norman Braman.
“We have put some of our own money and we got some other contributions from people,” Rosenberg said. “At the end of the day, I don’t think we’ll spend more than $40,000
“If we had more money imagine how much more interesting this could be.”
Pets’ Voice party bus takes voters and dogs to early voting added by Ladra on
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