FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. - A metro Atlanta animal shelter is sending volunteers and supplies to Florida to help rescue pets displaced by Hurricane Milton. Furkids, a no-kill shelter, is responding to the urgent need for assistance as shelters in central Florida face flooding and power outages in the storm's aftermath.
Furkids volunteers are loading vans with pet food, medical supplies, and crates to transport the animals. "Each one of these crates is probably going to have three or five cats in it. So, we'll have food, we'll have water, they have a litter box in the back and bedding that they'll be on," said David Garrett, a Furkids volunteer.
Garrett explained the dire conditions in Florida: "One of the shelters we're going to, almost to Tampa, got flooded. So not only are they out of power, but they also got flooded. Their food and litter got wet."
Samantha Shelton, CEO and founder of Furkids, said the shelter acted quickly after hearing about the severe impact of the hurricane on local shelters. "They're out of power. They're running out of food. So our team said, let's do it. Let's go help," she said. "We have four wonderful volunteers that are going to be driving through the night to arrive there tomorrow morning."
Furkids plans to rescue at least 50 cats and dogs, although that number could increase if they find litters of puppies or kittens. "We have approximately a thousand cats and dogs in our care right now," Shelton noted, acknowledging the challenges the shelter faces as they operate at full capacity.
Despite their local limitations, Shelton emphasized the importance of helping those in need. "We would love to see 300 adoptions this month to open the door for us to be able to bring in more from this natural disaster," she said.
The group may continue to make more trips to Florida depending on the evolving situation. "They're in desperate need because of the storm's impact," Garrett added, highlighting the shelter's ongoing commitment to assisting animals affected by Hurricane Milton.
If you would like to help their efforts, or perhaps give a forever home, visit furkids.org.