Humane Society of Pinellas Prepares Pets in Case of Tropical Storm Isaac Evacuation

While the storm path is still unknown, officials at the already are planning what to do with its hundreds of pets in case Tropical Storm Isaac hits the Tampa Bay area.

Planning to care for all the shelter's cats and dogs in case of evacuation can take days.

Abigail Kamleiter, incident commander at the shelter, talked about the specific timeline, supply list, job details and plan based on the risk assessment including storm path, intensity and shelter durability.

Humane Society of Pinellas is prepared for a hurricane type disaster, Kamleiter said.

"We have an evacuation plan for our shelter pets through agreements with Sumter D.A.R.T. (Disaster Animal Response Team), who will transport our pets to the Atlanta Humane Society if necessary,” Kamleiter said in a release.

Also, shelter staff and volunteers are available to support Pinellas County Animal Services at Dunedin Middle School, which is one of three pet friendly shelters in Pinellas County. The others are Oak Grove Middle School, 1370 S Belcher Road, Clearwater; and Thurgood Marshall Middle School, 3901 22 Ave. S, St. Petersburg.

Find more about pet preparedness on the county's website.