Written by Marcia Antipa, American Red Cross Public Affairs

“People have lost so much; their pet is now their whole life.”

When hurricanes Helene and Milton swept through Florida and five other states, people grabbed what they could from their homes and evacuated. Often, their most important possession is a beloved cat, dog or other pet. The American Red Cross was there to help these special family members through the Pet Liaison Program. Trained Red Cross volunteers work with partners to help evacuees care for their pets at disaster shelters.

Red Cross Pet Liaison volunteer Trish Burnett of Illinois says that having one's pet close by was critical for disaster survivors. “I’ve seen that connection between the owners and the pets. People who are just devastated; that’s what makes them in that moment be okay.”

Lynn Hartman and Spenser Hill, both from Ohio, trained as Red Cross Pet Liaison volunteers this summer, and just four months later they both deployed to Florida in the wake of the two hurricanes. Their goal is to visit every Red Cross shelter that allows pets.

Red Cross Pet Liaison teams serve as a link between the county, state, or nonprofit group overseeing animals in shelters. 

It’s not “to go in and pet the animals and love on the animals,” Lynn said. “It’s to make sure the facilities are good and the pets are being cared for.”

Lynn, a former veterinary technician, said “I cry almost every time I talk to the clients. But it’s the pets that give them their reason for living; some people have nothing.”

The Red Cross shelter at the Ross Norton Recreation Center in Clearwater, FL is caring for people and their pets who evacuated due to Hurricane Milton. Here, cats, dogs and other pets are housed in a space right next to their owners’ dormitory. That’s where puppies Gorda, Cory Jr, ChiChi, Jessica and Faith are living. Their mom, Grace, gave birth to them one day after Hurricane Helene hit in late September. Their owner, Rona Ohas, visits and cares for the dogs with the help of a Red Cross partner Best Friends, an animal rescue group. 

At the same shelter, Cynthia Knettel of West Central Florida visit with her 15-year-old dog named Eddie. They evacuated during Hurricane Milton to a hotel in Clearwater aboard a school bus, and then to a shelter. She was able to get a dog “hoodie” delivered to the shelter to keep him cozy.

Some shelters, like the one housed in Tampa’s All Peoples’ Life community center, allow evacuees to keep their pets next to their cots inside kennels or cages. There are cats, dogs, and even a little Mississippi Map turtle named Leonardo. That’s where Sandra Rivera of Hillsborough County is sheltering with her little dog, Carlos. She is grateful to have her best friend close by.

“It means a lot. He’s like my company, he’s very nice and comforting to me. We play around. I take him outside for a little bit. He likes the blanket, likes the pillow."

Lynn and Spenser assembled a larger crate for Carlos. They also helped another shelter client get replacement medicine, a new leash and a crate for her 18-year-old Chihuahua. All those items were lost in the rush to find a haven from the hurricanes.

Red Cross Pet Liaison Trish Burnett, who deployed to the Florida storm response, said a pet is often the only thing a shelter client has left.

One evacuee told her all that was left of his apartment after the hurricane swept through his home was his bathtub. He is as grateful to have evacuated with his one-eyed cat, who is sheltering with him and said, “If you offered me a million dollars for my cat, I’d walk away.”

If you would like to help Red Cross disaster response by volunteering or providing financial support, please visit redcross.org or call 1-800-REDCROSS.