Ever wonder what happens to pets in homeless shelters when severe weather strikes? At least, in this case, 250 cats and dogs have been relocated out of a Jacksonville Humane Society shelter and into new foster homes as Hurricane Dorian approaches Florida.
These foster home volunteers are called Storm Troopers. They’ve promised to care for the animals until at least Friday, which is when it’s predicted that Dorian will have cleared, CEO Denise Deisler told CNN in an interview. And this shelter relocated the whopping 250 animals in less than a week. That’s no small task. The Storm Troopers may adopt the pets they’re fostering if that’s something that interests them, too. This means the temporary fix could turn into a forever home.
"Really, we hope that they'll fall in love while they're out in homes and they never come back," Deisler said. "All they need to do is give us a call."
Not every single animal has been rehomed, but they won’t be facing Dorian alone. The animals who weren’t rehomed—including nursing cats and their kittens, two dogs with biting problems, and some animals with special medical needs—will stay at the shelter with a reduced Humane Society crew at their side.
Why are people staying with the remaining animals? The shelter is solid—remember, Jacksonville is familiar with hurricanes—but the combination of high winds and rains is likely to scare any animal, especially pets who may already be anxious because they’re in a shelter to begin with.
There’s also the fact that while Jacksonville might not get hit (or hit as badly), other animal shelters in the area might be. And if this location has lots of empty room and available crew, they can rescue animals from shelters that have been compromised or reached capacity.
"It just blows us away," Deisler said on the Storm Troopers. "These are people who may have to evacuate themselves, and they're taking a pet with them."
Not everyone is in a position to take in a foster pet, but if you can do good, please do! It all adds up.