There is no way to fully prepare yourself and your family for storms like Hurricane Dorian, but there are certainly things you can do to ensure that you and your community are as safe as you can be—and when I say community, I also mean our pets.
Animals in homes with families are have a much better chance at surviving the storm than those who are still in shelters. One Florida humane society knew this for a fact, and took pretty drastic measures to ensure the safety of their animals.
Before Hurricane Dorian arrived, the Jacksonville Humane Society put out a message to their Facebook followers.
“Our animals would love to ride out Hurricane Dorian in a cozy home like yours instead of at the shelter,” their post reads, “We are currently seeking Storm Trooper families to care for our pets until at least Friday, September 6. Interested families can stop by the JHS Adoption Center at 8464 Beach Blvd. between 10-5 tomorrow, September 1, and between 12-4 on Monday, September 2.”
“We will provide Storm Trooper fosters with food, leashes, and collars.”
“Our team will help you choose a pet that will be a good fit for your home,” the post continued, “Dogs, cats, and kittens are available to foster. Our Storm Trooper program is first come, first served, and we cannot guarantee that a specific animal will be available for fostering.”
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When they initially put the post out, they did not expect such a massive response from the community.
Their specific shelter held a little less than 275 animals available for adoption, and within one week, 250 of them found temporary foster homes in which to wait out Hurricane Dorian.
“It just blows us away,” said CEO Denise Deisler.
“These are people who may have to evacuate themselves, and they’re taking a pet with them.”
Though these were only temporary fostering situations, all 250 animals were able to wait out the storm in safe, loving environments rather than inside the shelter.
The only animals left in the shelter during the storm were a handful of dogs kept for medical treatment and a few newborn kittens, all of which were taken care of by a skeleton crew that remained on site through the entire storm.
“Thanks to you, nearly all of our pets will ride out Hurricane Dorian in loving Storm Trooper foster homes.”
The shelter took the time to post a celebratory message on the last day of the week: “You did it, Jacksonville! Your response to our call for help was tremendous, and we can’t thank everyone enough for their generosity and support.”
“We feel so incredibly lucky to be a part of such a kind, compassionate community.”
Many employees at the humane society are keeping their fingers crossed that a large number of the foster parents decide to fully adopt the animals that they’ve taken in.
“Really, we hope that they’ll fall in love while they’re out in homes and they never come back,” their statement reads, “All they need to do is give us a call.”
Having a home to themselves is incredibly important for these animals during a storm like Dorian.
Though they would be physically safe in the shelter, having the attention of foster parents and enough space to calmly relax means that they will be less overwhelmed and afraid.
As anticipated, a number of foster parents have already come forward regarding adoption.
The Jacksonville community really stepped up to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. Bravo.
h/t: CNN