Pet Rescue Partners Step in During Storms

Disaster Dog: a dog residing at a shelter, abandoned, or otherwise misplaced due to a storm or other natural disaster. 

Pinellas County Animal Services works hard to do what’s best for disaster dogs during storms and has a relationship with many Pinellas animal shelters and rescues. When back-to-back hurricanes Helene and Milton struck and Pinellas animal shelters were overwhelmed with dogs from evacuees, abandoned on the streets, or otherwise misplaced, it was an all-hands-on-deck situation. Cue independent outfits like Jaime McKnight’s Pawlicious Poochie Pet Rescue.

Since 2013, McKnight has operated her 501c3 nonprofit dog rescue. Her specialty? Senior pups, handicap, sick, and small breed dogs, 10 pounds and under. She has an extensive social media presence with around 100,000 loyal followers.

McKnight’s rescue has the designation of “regulated shelter partner,” part of a new program where a registered 501c3 is inspected and certified to coordinate with shelters for animal care. These partners are on email lists to be contacted in the event shelters need extra help, which was enacted for the first time during the recent hurricanes.

Because McKnight’s specialty is small dogs with medical issues, she is often contacted for specific cases with serious medical needs. During the storms, all area shelters shut down, but animal displacement was high. After the storms, shelters reached out to the rescues on the designated list to ask if they are willing to take a “disaster dog.” McKnight was asked to take in three. 

“If you chose to accept,” she explained, “you agree to keep the dog for four months. You sign an affidavit that you are taking responsibility for the dog. If the owner doesn’t come forward within the four months, you can adopt the dog out.”

One of McKnight’s disaster rescues is a Chihuahua named Pearl. “We just did surgery to have her mammary chamber removed; she had tumors, needed extensive dental surgery with teeth infected, and needed to be spayed.” Another rescue Chihuahua, Katalina, had a severe inguinal hernia. “Some of these dogs were found running the streets post hurricane.” McKnight notes that medical expenses are funded via donations, and go directly to the medical care facility, in this case, Skyway Animal Hospital.

Caring for even one animal with extensive medical issues is a challenge, but McKnight sees her work as a privilege and says she’s glad to be on the list of approved partner rescues. Should disaster strike again, she says she’ll be ready. 

“Of course,” she says, “otherwise some of these dogs would not get the medical care needed.  The animal shelters just don’t have the staff or resources to provide major medical care or surgeries.”

McKnight has a genuine passion and enthusiasm to help these animals, with the goal of nursing them back to health and either returning them to their owner or find them a loving home.  

How do owners find their dog if it was sent to a rescue partner? Usually, says McKnight, “the owner would contact Pinellas County Animal Control,” who then “reach out to shelters/rescues letting them know someone is seeking a dog that fits a description.” McKnight says “they might also see a photo of their dog that I posted on my social media. Once identified, we connect, and the dog is returned.” If the designated time frame has elapsed without finding the owner, however, McKnight works to find them a new home.

While we hope never to see another round of storms like 2024 brought us, McKnight urges people to plan ahead and know what you’ll do for pets if they need to evacuate. 

“There are some shelters for evacuees that do take pets, but they are kept in a separate area in cages. The benefit is that your pet is at the same facility you are,” she explains, though it’s best to be prepared with this information, which you can find at pinellascounty.org. “Of course,” she says, “the best option is to take your animal with you if you have to evacuate if at all possible.”