A friend pointed me to a story from the First Coast News of Jacksonville, Florida. The city of Jacksonville is preparing for the upcoming hurricane season by designating four pet-friendly shelters.
A spokesman from Jacksonville Animal Care and Control said that “The city certainly recognizes the close bond that people have with their pets and we’re working to provide a place for them.” The designated pet-friendly shelters are Landmark Middle School, Ocean Way Elementary School, Chimney Lakes Elementary School, and Mandarin Middle School. At least one of these shelters will also be prepared to accommodate special needs residents.
If you live in the Jacksonville area, you can pre-register for the pet-friendly shelters starting June first. Your local library will have the registration forms, or you can call 630-CITY. Read the full story from the First Coast News here.
After so many pets had to be left behind during Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma last year, it’s wonderful to see cities starting to plan ahead for this year. I hope more coastal cities prepare pet-friendly shelters for their residents and pets to evacuate to. Being able to keep your pets with you when you flee will help reduce some of the anxiety — you may not be able to save material possessions, but every living member of your family can be assured safety. I know that if my area were forced to evacuate, I wouldn’t be able to leave Moose and Lally (or my parents’ dog Becca, or my brother’s dogs Kuma and Lily Biscuits) behind! It would break my heart.
There are still pets looking for their families in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. If your pet is still missing, you can look for them at the Animal Emergency Response Network, a service of Petfinder and Maddie’s Fund. Pets left homeless by the hurricanes went to foster homes and shelters all over the country, but don’t give up hope. Search the database if you are still missing a member of your fur family.