Local animal shelters preparing for Hurricane Dorian

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — After every major storm, Clay County Animal Services gets inundated with lost and stray animals. During Hurricane Irma their facility completely flooded.

“They actually had to swim dogs out of those back cages to get them to safety,” explains Annalessa Winter, a Clay County spokesperson.

So ahead of Hurricane Dorian, they’re preparing for every possibility.

Florida Urgent Rescue transported nine dogs from Clay County Animal Services to Virginia find their forever homes. That way Clay County Animal Services will have more room to take in animals after the hurricane.

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“There’s usually a tremendous flood of animals following the storm and that’s the problem. These shelters are all full to begin with there’s no place for the animals to go,” explains Mike Merrill, F.U.R. Founder.

“We anticipate a lot of rain for this hurricane as well, so clearing out the shelter is a priority. Making sure those animals get to safety, keeping the shelter open, and then after the storm passes when those lost animals are coming and hopefully we will have space,” adds Winter.

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