Pet Owners Who Abandoned Animals During Irma Will Face Felony Charges
"We will find you, and we will prosecute you."
Meteorologists warned of 100-mile-per-hour winds and severe flooding, but when Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida last weekend, long-gone owners had left dozens of dogs tied up outside to weather the storm frightened and alone.
Now, Palm Beach County Animal Care and the State Attorney's Office are hunting down the people who abandoned their pets during the dangerous hurricane, leaving them not even indoors but chained to trees and even cars.
"They are left in a yard, in a pen they cannot escape from or tethered to trees or poles," Diane Sauve, head of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, told WPTV. Leaving a dog tied up alone is already illegal in the region, but the added danger of the storm qualifies the act as a felony, officials say.
"This is a prime example of animal cruelty," said Dave Aronberg, the state prosecutor for Palm Beach County. "We will find you, and we will prosecute you." While finding these negligent owners will prove a challenge, authorities are working on gathering as much evidence as possible. Sauve stated that they will use every paper trail imaginable to track them down.
BC animal control officers saved at least 49 dogs and two cats in the lead-up to Irma's arrival, ABC Action News reported, with many more possibly inaccessible to rescuers. In addition to the abandoned pets, the shelter is also working on finding homes for the surrendered dogs and cats relinquished by their owners.
With their facility full with over 100 animals, Palm Beach County Animal Care is currently waiving adoption fees and making fostering even easier. The group is also sending dozens of dogs and cats up north to other shelters to make room for the influx of pets impacted by Irma.
If you'd like to help, the shelter is currently requesting people donate crates, animal carriers and collars, which can be purchased and sent through Amazon. Better yet, consider registering as a foster home. You'll gain a new animal friend and free up space in a shelter for another pet to take its place.
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How Natural Disasters Can Devastate Animals
ANIMAL WELFARE) Whether there’s a flood or a fire, pets and wildlife can be incredibly vulnerable during a natural disaster. But regardless of what Mother Nature may throw at us, there’s no doubting humans offer animals the best chance of survival.
Read the full article below for more on how natural disasters impact the lives of pets and wildlife, and learn how you can help animals in need. — Global Animal
The Effects of Natural Disasters on the Lives of Animals
Natural disasters can have a devastating effect on not only the people in the area, but also the animals that have made their homes there. Although most animals can sense the onset of these types of events they do not always manage to come out of them unscathed. This includes both wild animals that cannot escape the danger and domesticated animals that are lost or left behind during a disaster.
Wild Animals
Many wild animals have to deal with seasonal events such as flooding and wildfires, in addition to the erratic occurrences of other natural disasters. The negative impact of a natural disaster on wildlife is usually brought on by the harm to their habit rather than the animals themselves. However, there are times when animals are unable to escape the scope of the disaster due to its size or nature. Floods and wild fires are two of the most difficult occurrences for wild animals to survive.
Fires that spread rapidly with powerful wind can be disorienting and sometimes impossible to escape. They also result in extensive damage to the natural habitat, which has long-term ramifications for the animals.
Floods can pose a great challenge for wild animals when there is nowhere to escape from the rising water. They can alter and damage their habitat and result in loss of animal life.