As Hurricane Milton intensified, Florida Urgent Rescue (FUR) was on the ground at Pinellas County Animal Services, scrambling to evacuate 26 dogs from a county shelter where the storm was expected to make landfall.
Working with Best Friends Animal Society, FUR transported these dogs to Marietta, Georgia, and Best Friends will move them to rescues in New York after the storm. These are the lucky ones.
Twice the Risk for Animals
The back-to-back hurricanes are making the situation even more dire for animals. Devastating winds and deadly storm surge aren’t the only dangers these animals face, though.
With the region still reeling from previous storms, shelters are already filled with strays and owner surrenders from Hurricane Helene. After every storm, as people return and find their homes damaged or destroyed, a flood of owner surrenders and strays comes into shelters in impacted areas. Animals who were in the shelter prior to the storm will be in danger again later if the shelter runs out of space.
In addition to evacuating animals in the path of the storm, FUR helps transport out animals who were in the shelters prior to the storm to make room for incoming strays and owner surrenders.
FUR Urgent Transport Program
The FUR Urgent Transport program helps save animals in natural disasters and other emergencies. FUR has done disaster relief missions to help animals in danger during 17 hurricanes and natural disasters, in addition to completing multiple rescue missions on the ground in Ukraine, after the earthquake in Turkey, in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.
This scene in Pinellas County was all too familiar. FUR was on the ground in Wakulla County ahead of Hurricane Helene, evacuating dogs and cats in the path of the storm. After transporting more than 150 dogs and cats from shelters impacted by Hurricane Helene, the evacuation of 26 dogs from Pinellas ahead of Hurricane Milton took place as other Helene transports were still in progress.
FUR is no stranger to hurricane rescue missions. This is the 17th natural disaster in which FUR has mobilized to rescue animals in danger.
Hurricane evacuations are always a logistical challenge. Heavy traffic, road closures, gas stations running out of fuel, and unpredictable weather are common obstacles. Add in long days and sleepless nights racing animals to safety, and it’s not for the faint of heart.
Florida Urgent Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. FUR earned a Four-Star Rating on Charity Navigator with a score of 100%, the highest possible rating. FUR also received a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency by Guidestar, and is a Top Rated Nonprofit on Great Nonprofits.
