People Who Abandoned Dogs During Irma Could Be Charged with Felonies

Such actions are ‘a prime example of animal cruelty,’ says one official.

As Hurricane Irma rolled into Florida, thousands of people evacuated their homes — and not all of them took their pets.

The Daily Mail reports that as they return, those who abandoned their animals could face an unpleasant consequence: felony charges.

Animal control officers rescued dozens of animals tied up outside their homes before the hurricane hit.

In Palm Beach County, for example, they saved 49 dogs. They accepted many other pets handed over by their owners as the hurricane approached, the Daily Mail reports.

Two officials pledging to pursue criminal charges against offenders are Dave Aronberg, state attorney for Palm Beach County, and Dianne Suave, director of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control.

Aronberg was quoted by the New York Post saying that abandoning pets to the storm is “a prime example of animal cruelty.”

Read more at the Daily Mail