ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County is reminding residents of the importance of having emergency plans for their pets.
The push comes as hurricane season is officially underway and because there is a new law that goes into effect Oct. 1 aimed at preventing the abandonment of animals during natural disasters.
Senate Bill 150, or “Trooper’s Law,” was inspired by Trooper, a dog who was left chained to a pole in the path of Hurricane Milton and rescued by the Florida Highway Patrol.
The law makes it a felony to abandon pets during a declared disaster or evacuation, carrying penalties of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. It also classifies failing to provide confined animals with food, water or exercise, and abandoning an animal as first-degree misdemeanors.
Bryant Almeida, of Orange County Animal Services, expressed the significance of the law.
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“It’s terrible that people would even consider doing this to an animal that’s helpless already and now you’re just basically leaving it behind during one of the more dangerous times that we have here in the state,” he said. “So we’re very happy. We’re very excited, and we’re hoping that people take it a little bit more seriously.”
Almeida stressed the importance of having an emergency plan for pets, likening their care to that of family members.
“People don’t realize that your animals are going to be safe if you leave them by themselves. It can’t take care of itself. It can’t call out for emergency services. It’s stuck wherever you leave it. So, we have to remind people that these are living creatures,” he explained. “If you have a bag for yourself or for your children, for your family members, you should have something similar for your dog.”
For those who need to evacuate, Orange County residents can access pet-friendly shelters, typically managed by Animal Services staff.
“We actually have entire rooms set up with crates, kennels for cats, dogs, birds, whatever pet you have,” he said.
Animals in the pet-friendly shelters are kept in a separate room monitored by staff. However, the pet owner is still responsible for taking care of their pet while they are in the shelter. Owners need to bring their own food, toys, medication the pet may need, and the pet’s updated vaccination record.
The county will announce shelter openings on social media and county websites once a hurricane is confirmed.
In addition, Orange County Animal Services will host a “Hurricane Expo” on June 21, providing “go bags” for pet owners to keep on hand for emergencies.
“We’re going to be giving away bags for people to have during hurricane season in case they have to evacuate. It tells you a list of things that you should have in that bag, for instance, like vaccination records, rabies tags, extra -- or at least a little bit of food -- a little bit of, medication (and a) small first aid kit,” Almeida said.
For more details on the event, call the shelter at 407-836-3111. For more information on how to prepare your pets for active hurricane season, click here.
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