SARASOTA, FLA. — The Humane Society of Sarasota County is acting as a hub for animals that need to be transported to other shelters as a result of Hurricane Ian, and so far, the organization has helped rescue nearly 200 dogs and cats.
The shelter received dogs and cats from Gulf Coast Humane Society, Sarasota County Animal Services, Highlands County Animal Services and Osceola County Animal Services.
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"We got a call from Gulf Coast Humane Society. They had sustained serious damage, and they needed to clear the entire population from their shelter. We were fortunate enough to be able to take 22 dogs from them," Humane Society of Sarasota County's Alissa Jackson said.
The Gulf Coast Humane Society in Fort Myers shared on its Facebook page how Hurricane Ian knocked down trees and damaged three playgrounds. The shelter said it also had no water and limited power after the hurricane, so it transferred its animals to shelters across the state that were not impacted by the hurricane.
"We knew Florida was going to get hit really hard, and we wanted to be a resource for other shelters because our shelter is rated for Category 5 hurricanes. We wanted to make sure we made the space to make that possible," Jackson said.
The Humane Society of Sarasota County said it could use some volunteers to walk the dogs and foster families.
The shelter is taking donations to fund relief efforts. Even a small gift may make a huge impact, according to shelter officials.
For more information on adoptions and donations, visit their website.
