JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Animal shelters, overwhelmed with pets displaced by Tropical Storm Debby, have sent over 200 pets home with families. Despite the number of pets already adopted, cages are still full and local shelters need help.
Shelters are seeking not only permanent homes for their animals, but also temporary homes through foster programs. Adoption fees have been reduced in hopes that people will come forward to take a new four-legged friend home.
Next Friday, the largest adoption event held in Jacksonville will take place at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds. The event will run Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Adoption fees are $25 and all pets come microchipped and spayed or neutered. If you are active duty or retired military then there is no adoption fee.
After Tropical Storm Debby left the First Coast, hundreds of animals were left displaced. Barbara Sprague, Executive Director of Safe Animal Shelter in Middleburg, said they had taken and had calls for 100 animals.
The displaced animals added to an already high number of animals needing homes after influx of homeless pets caused in part by an active kitten season, according to First Coast No More Homeless Pets.
The adoption event being held next weekend at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds is one event planned in a series with a goal of sending animals home. Over 800 pets are expected to be up for adoption at the first event.
First Coast No More Homeless Pets (FCNMHP) hopes that by doing the adoption events Jacksonville can become a no-kill community. Nikki Harris, adoption program director for FCNMHP said, "With this historic event, we will be able to help all those animals who have been displaced because of circumstances beyond their control. Our community is coming together to make sure these dogs and cats don't suffer and that they find loving homes."
Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services has adopted 94 dogs and 57 cats. FCNMHP pulls their pets from ACPS for adoption. They have had 31 cats and 7 dogs adopted.
If you would like to help but you aren't able to adopt a pet permanently there are other ways you can offer your support. All animal shelters are in need of food, cleaning products, donations and volunteers to lend helping hands.
In addition to needing a permanent home for pets, the shelters also are in need of foster families a dog or cat could live with temporarily.
People interested in fostering a pet in Duval County should call 904-425-0005. To help the Safe Animal Shelter in Middleburg call 904-276-7233.
First Coast News