When people first heard that Hurricane Charley ripped through Hardee and DeSoto counties in southwest Florida, they immediately went into their own version of code orange—alarm for all the millions of dollars in lost citrus fruit in these two mostly agricultural areas.
But as residents looked beyond the thousands upon thousands of unripe green oranges that prematurely dropped to the ground, they noticed that pets and large animals were equally at risk. Both animals and fruit, after all, don't respond well to being alone in the heat.
Several factors have contributed to the problems facing animals in Hardee and DeSoto. First, the hurricane impacted a majority of homes in the two counties, leaving many owners unable to care for their animals; according to a Red Cross estimate, 61% of the homes in DeSoto were damaged, while 60% were damaged in Hardee. Likewise, the main shelter in each county was either damaged or not suitable enough to serve as the principal staging area for stray, surrendered or rescued animals.
What's more, Charley not only downed many power lines in the area, rendering water pumps and air conditioners useless without a generator, but it also sliced up countless fence lines, allowing animals to wander and, in some cases, take a walk on the wild side.
"We ran across dogs who were loose and wandering the area," said Diane Webber, director of The HSUS's Midwest Regional Office, who's handling public information out of Punta Gorda. "Because they were hungry and fending for themselves, the dogs naturally reverted back to their natural instincts and formed a pack. That's what they do. An alpha dog emerges and they run together."
The problem with dog packs, as Webber points out, is that they can be dangerous. Four people have already been bitten by stray dogs in DeSoto alone, she noted. "If people see dogs roaming the area, they should not, under any circumstance, try to approach the animals. They should call their local animal control," Webber said.
The good news is that Disaster Animal Rescue Teams throughout Florida, teams that The HSUS helped develop following Hurricane Andrew in 1992, have launched into action in DeSoto and Hardee.
DART team members from Hillsborough and Tampa Bay area are currently helping process animals in DeSoto, where the shelter took a hard hit from Charley. They're working out of a brand new county office facility that needed only some crates and supplies to be transformed into a temporary shelter.
The animals processed at the DeSoto facility will not remain there, however, Webber said. They are being transferred to the Humane Society of Manatee County's facility in Bradenton, which The HSUS help set up to temporarily shelter surrendered, lost and rescued pets. So far, 30 animals have been transferred to the Manatee County space, Webber said, which has taken a huge load off DeSoto County's animal control officer and her part-time assistant, who have worked virtually non-stop since Charley hit land on August 13.
Breathing Easier in Hardee
Because the Hardee County Animal Control facility, the area's regular shelter, has been designated as the space for potentially dangerous animals, officials have had to secure another place for owners wanting to surrender or foster their pets. They decided to turn a stable at the local fairgrounds into a temporary shelter, where lost animals remain for at least three days before being transferred to the Manatee County facility. Surrendered animals are immediately shipped to Manatee or taken by other nearby shelters for adoption. Animals put up for foster care are sent to Manatee where workers look to secure temporary housing for the pets.
As of Tuesday, August 24, there were about 30 animals at the fairgrounds, Webber said.
Hardee County has received assistance from a number of counties, including Okaloosa (which sent its DART team there), Hernando, Marion and Citrus counties. Hardee has also received help from a nearby prison, whose inmates have bonded well with animals. "They've been wonderful," Webber said. "They clean cages and walk the dogs for us."
The arrangement between Hardee and Manatee counties has already paid dividends for at least one family—not to mention the shelter workers who witnessed the scene.
Last week, an older woman and her husband arrived at the fairgrounds shelter with their two grandchildren and their dog, Bruiser. The older child, a boy who looked to be around 7 years old, had apparently spent two hours freeing Bruiser from the rubble of their damaged home. The boy performed this heroic deed for his younger brother, a special needs child who claims the pooch as his own.
Because the family is staying at a special-needs shelter, they cannot bring Bruiser along and had to put the animal up for foster care. The very thought of leaving Bruiser behind so upset the older boy that he volunteered to sleep in the crate with the dog. "That, quite frankly, had everyone in tears," said Laura Bevan, who's leading The HSUS emergency response in southwest Florida. "We promised he would get his dog back. In fact, Bruiser is such a little personality that workers there were already lining up to foster him."
The Foster Instinct
As of Tuesday, August 24, about 500 animals have gone through The HSUS's Carmelita Animal Compound in Punta Gorda, Webber reports. About 98% of those animals are dogs and cats, she said. The large volume of critters has had a significant impact on the Suncoast Humane Society in Englewood. The facility has taken in more than 470 animals, forcing it to expand operations into a former Eckerd drug store.
The majority of these animals, Webber says, have been turned over for foster care, although she doesn't have hard numbers. But the term "foster care" has developed new meanings in southwest Florida. Aside from families offering to temporarily care for these four-legged victims, veterinary offices across the state are caring for foster animals in their boarding facilities. "My understanding is that the veterinarians are doing this free of charge," Webber said.
But not everyone feels comfortable leaving their animal in foster care. Some feel the best decision is to let their animal go, because they know their lives will not normalize for many months. Webber recalls a recent scene at the Punta Gorda compound.
A hearing-impaired man, whose home was devastated, brought his Australian Shepherd mix into the facility one day. He had apparently had the dog for 11 and a half years. He was there to surrender the dog for adoption. "He told us that he had no home, no clothes, no money—that he could no longer care for the dog like the dog deserved," Webber said. "He told us that it took him a long time to come to this decision. That's the part that gets to you."
To Webber and others, the scene was yet another reminder of how important it is to find new homes for every animal surrendered into their hands.
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