BROWARD COUNTY, FL -  Broward County remains under a Tropical Storm Watch as Hurricane Dorian approaches. While it is unlikely that Broward County will experience sustained tropical storm force winds, wind gusts of up to 74 MPH may be experienced and the National Weather Service says sporadic tornadoes are also a possibility.

Now that you've secured your property, Broward County Animal Care and Adoption would like to remind all pet owners to never leave their pet(s) behind, and please do not keep them tied up outdoors. Depending on the circumstances, a pet owner who abandons their pet can be charged with a misdemeanor and/or felony, including additional charges of animal cruelty. Always keep your pet with you and make sure they have some form of identification on them.  

Sometimes, as careful as pet owners might be, a pet can become separated from its owner. Keeping ID tags on pet collars or simply writing your phone number on their collar will help you and your pet be reunited faster than with no ID at all. Microchipping is best way to be reunited with your pet if you become separated. Microchipping is a permanent form of identification; a small chip the size of a grain of rice is inserted under the skin, between the shoulder blade and can be scanned at Animal Care or at any veterinarian office. If your pet is not chipped, Animal Care and Adoption offers them free of charge for Broward residents at any of the monthly low-cost rabies clinics. If you and your pet are separated be sure to visit the shelter or call your local law enforcement to see if your pets been found. Also, be sure to frequently check the Animal Care website. 

If you encounter an animal or pet unknown to you, it's best not to approach it. Animals may be frightened or aggressive. Call Animal Care at 954-359-1313, option 2.

Even though the Animal Care and Adoption Center is closed to the public, staff is still manning the center to take care of all pets and clean the kennels.

Officials urge residents to Stay Informed and Be Prepared. Check Broward.org/Hurricane for the latest updates. The official Twitter site for Broward County emergency information is @ReadyBroward and Facebook is @BrowardEMD. You can also call Broward County’s Emergency Hotline at 311 or 954-831-4000.  

DATE: September 2, 2019
CONTACT: MEDIA ONLY 954.831.3890
RUMOR CONTROL: 954.831.4000
EMAIL: publicinfo@broward.org
WEB: Broward.org/Hurricane