How to protect your pets

BY HANNAH CRITCHFIELD Times Staff Writer

Richard Church didn’t want to leave his pets behind.

As Hurricane Ian barreled toward Florida, the 64-year-old hunkered down in his mobile home.

Boh-Nak Mobile Home Park in Tampa was located in a high-risk flood area, making its residents vulnerable to storm surge, power outages and other dangerous conditions that accompany a hurricane.

With two beloved cats and no pet carriers, Church was prepared to ride out the storm at home.

At the time, Hurricane Ian was expected to be the first hurricane to directly hit the Tampa Bay area in more than 100 years.

“It got kind of scary,” he told the Tampa Bay Times shortly after the storm, which ultimately pivoted south to the Fort Myers area before making landfall. “But when I got to the point where the storm was headed this way, all the motels were booked up.”

Pets are often a reason people don’t evacuate ahead of a hurricane. But they shouldn’t have to be, local officials say.

Here’s our guide to how you can keep your pets and yourself safe during a tropical storm.

Where can we go?

Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties all have pet-friendly shelters.

For a list of specific shelters that accept pets, visit each county’s website. Pinellas and Pasco allow pets on their free evacuation transportation. Hillsborough County offers pet-friendly transportation in a limited number of cases, primarily for families with special medical needs. Similarly, Hernando County only provides transportation for pets that are