LAKELAND, Fla. – More than 100 pets were found on the streets of Polk County after Hurricane Milton and are now in the custody of Animal Control. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is currently working to reunite the pets with their owners.
Photos of all pets found are now posted on the county’s website, and the county is asking owners to check to see if a friend is there or to go directly to the animal control office. They must have proof of ownership, including a photo of themselves and pet or veterinary records.
“At the end of the day, it was a bad storm, and we’re trying to make the most of it by trying to reunite people and their pets,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “They were found throughout the county, with some found in areas with water and some wandering around due to the hurricane.”
READ: Man charged with tying dog to utility pole on Interstate 75 before Hurricane Milton: ‘They’ll have to face the music’
Storm pets will be kept for 30 days to find their owners, after which they will be made available to everyone. The sheriff said thankfully no pets were found abandoned at the home. They probably fled, got scared, or got lost during the madness of storm preparation and landfall.
“No, we specifically did not find any pets that were left in the home. If we did, it would be a bigger question of where the person who left the pet in the home is,” Judd said.
But now the shelter is once again over capacity and is also seeking people to come and adopt.
“We will be housing an additional 102 dogs and cats for an additional 30 days, so we will have to reduce staffing at the shelter,” Judd said. “We’ve had a lot of people come in and say they want to help[after the storm]. One of the biggest ways you can help is by coming and adopting a cat or dog for free.”
To help with this, Polk County is waiving adoption fees for 30 days and extending business hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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