Flagler Co. shelter steps up to help neighboring shelter

19 dogs transferred to keep warm

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – The below-freezing temperatures have many pet owners keeping their animals indoors, but for dogs without a home or a family to call their own, local shelters have had to get creative with how to keep adoptable pets warm.

Nineteen dogs were transferred overnight from the Jacksonville Humane Society to the Flagler County Humane Society because their kennels did not have any heat.

For the staff in Flagler County, taking the dogs in was a no brainer.

"I'm sure they would have survived, but not comfortably for sure. If it's miserable for us, then it's miserable for them too. This little fur coat only does so much," said Flagler County Humane Society Executive Director Amy Carotenuto. "When we heard Jacksonville Humane had outdoor kennels and didn't have the heat, we have completely indoor kennels and we, you know, timing is everything. We have the most empty cages we've ever had here in our facility."

With the arctic blast that is gripping the nation, and temperatures dipping into the teens and 20's for the second day in a row, staff turned to another organization to help move the dogs to the warmer kennels.

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"First Coast No More Pets did the transport so all we did was accept them and give them a whole lot of blankets and toys and TLC," Carotenuto said. "We've got dog walkers that come out every day and everybody got a good walk in today during the warmest part of the day."

The staff said the dogs will stay as long as they need to.

"We're just going to kind of play it by ear. We hope that all kinds of great people will come out here and adopt all of these guys so none of them have to take the trip back to Jacksonville," Carotenuto said.

All 19 of the dogs transferred to Flagler County are available for adoption. The adoption fees start at $50.

Another 50 dogs being housed at the Jacksonville Humane Society were placed with temporary foster homes Tuesday night. They're expected to return to the kennels and be available for adoption within the next day or two.

For more information, you can visit the Jacksonville Humane Society's website or the Flagler County Humane Society's website.