The Cape Coral Animal Shelter was granted $4,050 to cover costs associated with Hurricane Milton relief the shelter provided to DeSoto County Animal Control.

In the days leading up to Hurricane Milton that struck our area on Oct. 9, an urgent plea was put out through statewide emergency response agencies to evacuate as many animals as possible from areas already flooded by Hurricane Helene just two weeks earlier. DeSoto County Animal Control was among those shelters in desperate need, and it is one of Cape Coral Animal Shelter’s long-standing rescue partners.

The shelter immediately loaded its van with empty carriers and headed one hour north to DeSoto Animal Control. There they met up with overwhelmed and very grateful animal control officers and 27 animals — 25 cats and two small dogs — were rescued. Taking in 27 animals at one time is difficult for such a small shelter, with only 12 kennels and three small cat rooms. CCAS never hesitated to help its rescue partners and animals in need in DeSoto County.

In the days after Milton, PetSmart Charities offered grant funding to cover the cost of care for the 27 animals the Cape Coral Animal Shelter took in, which included medication, vaccines and the cost of spay/neuter and microchipping to prepare the animals for adoptions. Several of the kittens broke with severe upper respiratory and required extended medical care. Thanks to the generosity of PetSmart Charities, the burden of taking in so many animals at one time under extreme circumstances was lessened.