Hurricane Irma slammed into Florida September 10 after tearing through the Caribbean. When it made landfall in the United States, many fled the storm's path — but some didn't take their pets with them. And now, in Palm Beach County, they might be in trouble.
According to WPTV, an NBC News affiliate, people who left their pets chained up as they left town to flee Irma could be prosecuted for felony animal cruelty.
WPTV reported that Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control received dozens of reports of dogs chained to trees or left in parked cars by owners who were absent in the wake of the hurricane. Animal Care and Control officials said leaving a dog tied up alone is already illegal in the region, but with the added danger of the hurricane, the act qualifies as a felony. "This is a prime example of animal cruelty," said Dave Aronberg, the state prosecutor for Palm Beach County, as reported in Good Housekeeping. "We will find you, and we will prosecute you."
According to USA Today, shelters also took in more than 40 pets who were surrendered by their owners as the storm approached, which Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control director Dianne Sauve said is not unexpected. But she did note to the Palm Beach Post that anyone who surrendered a pet prior to leaving town will be put on a "do not adopt" list at all of the county's shelters. And, as USA Today reported, those people are not eligible to get their pets back once they return home.
"It's always disappointing," Suave said. "Our goal is to keep pets and people together."
The issue isn't unique to Florida, either. According to The Washington Post, more than 1,000 pets were also displaced by Texas's Hurricane Harvey. Some have been transported to different states for medical care and are now being adopted out. States such as Illinois, Connecticut, and California are now seeing hurricane pets up for adoption, ready to go to a new forever home. CBS Boston reported that last week, a plane filled with 30 dogs and 70 cats landed in Massachusetts, where they went to a shelter for medical care, and ultimately, adoption.
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