Since Tropical Storm Debby brought torrential rain to parts of the Tampa Bay area, Manatee County Animal Welfare has taken in 200 stray pets.
“It’s really hard knowing that there could be a family out there, really upset looking for their family member, their dog or cat,” Animal Welfare Division Manager Jennifer Hume said.
With the county’s animal shelters already at critical capacity, the county has waived reclaim fees and extended the hold on strays to 14 days.
“We’re very thankful two of our rescue partners, Friends of Strays and Cat Tales, did transfer a very large number of kittens from us, but we still need great help with dogs,” Hume said.
The county still has more than 250 pets in their care, which is a lot, especially during the summer months, she explained.
Adoptions have also been slow, with only seven adoptions since last Friday. That is how many adoptions the shelter usually has on a Saturday alone.
Adoption fees are currently waived until Sept. 10.
“We really want to avoid the animals coming here in the first place,” Hume said.