Options for Fido: South Carolina hurricane public shelters do not allow pets

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Hurricane Florence is bearing down upon South Carolina forcing many people to leave their homes and travel towards the west for safety. It may be a surprise for residents of the Palmetto State that public shelters do not allow families to bring their pets.

Don’t panic, and don’t leave your pets behind. They are not equipped to survive a major hurricane – they cannot and should not be left alone in the house when you leave!  You are not out of options, and if you need a place where pets are allowed, call local emergency management or an animal shelter to find out where you can get help and places that will keep your dog or cat during the storm. Yes, you might get separated, but with some emergency preparations, you and Fido or Fluffy can be safely reunited after Hurricane Florence “leaves the building.”

Check out PetFriendlyTravel.com here for a list of hotels for South Carolina.

Check out Pet Friendly Evacuation Centers in South Carolina.

Check out Emergency Stable Operations.

Check out Aiken Department of Emergency Services.

Beaufort County SC – Hurricane Florence
South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster lifted the evacuation order for Beaufort County that was scheduled to go into effect at 12:00 Sept. 11th.

Berkley County – Hurricane Florence
The pet friendly shelter is located at Cane Bay High School, 1624 State Rd., Summerville, SC. Citizens must stay with their pets during their time at the shelter. Pet owners are not allowed to drop-off their pets here.

Charleston County Emergency Management

Charleston County Animal Society – Disaster Preparedness

Charleston County & City of North Charleston Hurricane Preparedness Guide

Dorchester County – Hurricane Florence
The pet friendly shelter is located at DuBose Middle School (opening Sept. 11 at noon), 1005 DuBose School Rd., Summerville, SC (pet-friendly, opens at noon) (only allows small, crated, domesticated animals).

Georgetown County – Hurricane Florence
A mandatory evacuation order for all evacuation zones in Georgetown County has been ordered as a result of the approach of Hurricane Florence. Georgetown County Emergency Management officials advise all county residents in these zones to heed this order and begin moving their families, including pets, to a safe location inland. The public is reminded that pets, firearms and alcohol are not allowed in public shelters. Individuals can find locations that accept pets at petfriendlytravel.com. Two of the shelters now open take pets, Cane Bay High School in Berkeley County and Dubose Middle School in Dorchester County.

Horry County – Hurricane Florence
Two of the shelters now open take pets, Cane Bay High School in Berkeley County and Dubose Middle School in Dorchester County.

Horry County – Pet Preparedness and Equine Emergency Evacuation Sites

Kiawah Island – Evacuation & Reentry

Marlboro County – Hurricane Florence
Marlboro County will open a shelter for evacuees at the Blenheim Elementary/Middle School, 143 Highland St., Blenheim, SC, on Sept 11, 2018 at 2:00pm. Pets will be allowed and will be provided a separate area of the shelter but must be kept in a carrier and the owner must provide food for the pet as well. Volunteers from the Humane Society will be there to assist with this part of the shelter.

Spartanburg County Emergency Management

Most pet owners are reluctant to leave unless they can evacuate with their pets. During Hurricane Katrina, only 1/5 of the 15,000 pets stranded were ever reunited with their owners. Make sure you pet has a microchip and identification tag. Once chipped, be sure to register the chip and keep the contact information up to date. It will only take a minute – and it could mean being reunited just in case your four-legged companion is separated. Choose an identification tag that lays flat against the collar to prevent it from getting caught on something and strangling your pet.

(South Carolina hurricane shelters not open to pets photo via ASPCA)

Read the latest animal news on the National Pet Rescue Facebook page.

Yesterday in the newsFire department helps wayward sea lion get back to the ocean – more here.

Senior dog in needTortured puppy is making remarkable progress – more here!


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5 COMMENTS

  1. People who are involved in this hurricane need to heed what shelters are saying they can and cannot do. Find a safe place for your dog/cat to be during this storm so that they are safe and so can you be too and get them after this is over. They are part of your family and cannot survive on their own in an empty home. Wonder how many stupid people will just leave their pets to fend for themselves during this critical time?

  2. WHAT the HELL (for Lack of profanity) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Why SHOULD We as AMERICAN’s BE SURPRISED IN ANY WAY, ABOUT the LATEST DEVELOPEMEHERE!!!! WHAT A BUNCH OF LOSER”S DECIDED THIS!!!

  3. They keep saying the shelters will reunite pets but that’s not what happened in the last 2 hurricanes. Pets got relocated out of state, shifted to other shelters, Collars with ID’s removed. Humane society hostile takeovers etc. People that lost everything had no way to get to the shelters to reclaim and shelters deemed their pets strays…. We need FEMA to declare changes regarding this.

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