MIAMI, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ – Adopt-a-Pet.com, North America’s largest non-profit pet adoption website, is urging South Floridians and others evacuating ahead of Hurricane Irma not to leave pets behind or at animal shelters, and if they find themselves in need of a temporary home for their pets, to leverage “Foster a Hurricane Pet” (FosteraHurricanePet.org).  Foster a Hurricane Pet is the first peer-to-peer platform that allows pet owners anticipating the need to evacuate their homes due to hurricanes to quickly and easily post their pets and be connected with local foster families to care for them temporarily until the crisis has passed.

The people and pets of Texas are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey and now the most powerful storm on record in the Atlantic is barreling toward Florida.  Authorities anticipate hundreds of thousands of people and their family pets in Florida and beyond may be displaced by Hurricane Irma. “Foster a Hurricane Pet will give evacuees the ability, both before and after the storm, to directly connect with other pet lovers in their community who can care for their pet. The peace of mind of knowing a much-loved pet is well-cared for and will return home safely is so important to the emotional recovery from such a crisis,” said Dr. Pia Salk, spokesperson for Adopt-a-Pet.com and psychologist with expertise on the human-animal bond.

Supported by the Petco Foundation, Adopt-a-Pet.com developed Foster a Hurricane Pet with the goal to ensure beloved companion animals remain part of the families that cherish them and reserve the space in animal shelters for pets who need permanent adoption. “For nearly 20 years, the Petco Foundation has remained committed to empowering communities by investing in lifesaving work for animals across the country. Through partnerships with Adopt-a-Pet.com, for finding pet foster homes, and with Finding Rover, for reuniting displaced pets with their owners, innovative and desperately needed technology is enabling more animals to be saved,” said Susanne Kogut, Executive Director of the Petco Foundation.

Only people local to the areas affected by the storm are being asked to open their homes to foster a pet.  Pet lovers in the rest of the country who want to help are encouraged to visit Adopt-a-Pet.com or Petfinder.com to adopt a pet from their local shelter to make room for homeless pets being moved out of the hurricane-affected areas.  Those who can’t adopt but still want to lend support can make a tax-deductible donation that will entirely be used to cover the costs of foster care for hurricane impacted pets.

To learn more about Foster a Hurricane Pet, visit www.fosterahurricanepet.org.