Hurricane Milton: Hundreds of pets adopted, fostered after shelter's plea for help went viral

WEST PALM BEACH — Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control issued a plea for help Monday . Anticipating a surge of animals displaced by Hurricane Milton , it sought fosters and forever families for the more than 200 homeless cats and dogs already in its shelter near West Palm Beach.

Animal lovers answered the call. They inundated the shelter's phone lines with questions about how to help and arrived at the shelter in droves. They waited in a line that stretched the length of the building until finally leaving with a furry friend or two in tow.

Within two days, the shelter connected 117 cats and 113 dogs with adopters and fosters, the agency said Wednesday.

The community's response was so immediate and complete that employees had to turn away the last wave of interested fosters. They urged them instead to check back in the coming weeks, as empty kennels are quick to fill again.

This fact is evident in the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control's online database of the shelter's residents . It includes 16 dogs and 16 cats that have been found wandering around the county since Tuesday, when Hurricane Milton preparations began in earnest. The identities of their owners are unknown.

One, a 6-year-old Golden Retriever mix with trimmed nails and a sweet demeanor, likely got out of a home. Deputies found him roaming unleashed in Lake Worth Beach on Wednesday while they patrolled for vulnerable people in need of shelter. He was still at the animal shelter as of Thursday afternoon.

Pets not claimed by their owner within four days become the property of Animal Care and Control. According to the agency, these animals may be placed in the adoption or foster program, transferred to a partner organization or euthanized based on medical and or behavior issues.

Owners hoping to reclaim their lost pet must show proof of ownership, such as a recent photo, a rabies certificate or a receipt from a veterinarian’s office with description of animal. See the list of pets — including dogs, cats, two goats and a horse — awaiting their homecoming on the agency's website .

To learn more about fostering an animal, call 561-233-1281 or email accfoster@pbc.gov . The shelter is at 7100 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach, FL, 33411.

Hannah Phillips covers criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com . Help support our journalism and subscribe today .

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Hurricane Milton: Hundreds of pets adopted, fostered after shelter's plea for help went viral