Animals evacuated from Florida during Hurricane Milton arrive in Philly area

Dozens of animals that were evacuated from Florida during Hurricane Milton arrived at shelters throughout the Philadelphia region over the weekend.

On Saturday, Oct. 12, nearly 100 shelter animals from Hillsborough County, Florida, arrived at the Brandywine Valley SPCA’s locations in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and New Castle, Delaware. Some of the animals were also taken to the Humane Society in the Harrisburg area while others were taken to shelters in New York.

Officials said all the dogs that arrived have already been adopted though many of the cats are still in need of new homes. Officials are urging people to help them clear the shelters so that they’ll continue to have enough space for animals coming in.

“It really is a trickledown effect. It is so important,” Brandywine Valley SPCA spokesperson Sara Smith said. “Whenever you adopt locally, that opens a space for us to bring more animals that need help from those impacted areas.”

The Brandywine Valley SPCA is currently waiving adoption fees for large adult dogs and adult cats at all their locations in Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey. Those who can’t adopt can consider fostering or making a donation to help cover the cost of care for the rescued animals.