Pinellas County Animal Services News
During Hurricane Helene, Pinellas County Animal Services opened three Pet Friendly Shelters and staffed them 24/7 from September 25th – 27th. We opened a site at Largo High School, Palm Harbor University High, and Gibbs High School. In total, we cared for 95 pets at the 3 locations. In addition, staff stayed at our main shelter location 24/7 to maintain standards of care for over 250 stray animals.
For residents who are still homeless due to Helene, the County opened a general population & pet-friendly shelter at Ross Norton Recreation Center in Clearwater. Human Services is assisting with locating temporary housing or other services needed for residents to return home. There are currently 99 individuals housed there and Pinellas County Animal Services staff is onsite 24/7 to help care for the 17 pets.
The aftermath of Helene has created a great deal of fear and uncertainty for our residents. To help address unmet needs, we compiled a list of resources to share with anyone affected:
- Free Pet Food is available at Pinellas County Animal Services during our regular business hours: Monday- Friday 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. & Saturday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.; Vouchers for Free Spay/Neuter/ &/or Wellness Care are available to income-qualified residents beginning October 15th. If you are interested in joining our list of providers, please reach out to me. We reimburse all veterinary clinics for the services and can provide you with our fee schedule for review.
- If you sustained loss or damages, FEMA assistance is available to Pinellas County residents. Assistance may include financial help for temporary lodging, basic home repairs, and other disaster-caused expenses. Apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA app, or call 800-621-FEMA (3362). As of October 2nd, 26,389 residents have registered for FEMA assistance.
- A Disaster Recovery Center opened at 1 pm on 10/2 at Largo Public Library (120 Central Park Drive, Largo). This location is open to assist residents with recovery resources and filling out applications. More information can be found at disaster.pinellas.gov.
- Pinellas County is supporting six points of distribution (PODs) where barrier island residents affected by Hurricane Helene can receive free food, water, and tarps while they last:
- St. Pete Beach: 4700 Gulf Bvd., St. Pete Beach (Food, water, and tarps)
- Treasure Island: 10451 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island (Food, water, and tarps)
- Tierra Verde Fire Station: 540 Sands Point Drive, Tierra Verde (Water only)
- Redington Shores: 18200 Gulf Boulevard (Food, water, and tarps)
- Lake Vista Park: 401 62nd Ave S, St Petersburg (Food and water)
- Palm Harbor: 1190 Georgia Ave, Palm Harbor (Food, water, and tarps)
- A Family Resource Center is now open by the Florida Department of Children and Families at Bridgepoint Church (6690 Crosswinds Dr. N. St. Petersburg). Food, water, diapers, wipes, and some cleaning supplies as well as resource information for Activate Hope.
- Pinellas County Schools will serve free meals to all students for the month of October.
- The Disaster Distress Helpline is open and provides 24/7 toll-free, multilingual disaster crisis counseling for anyone experiencing emotional distress related to disasters. Call or text 1-800-985-5990.
- Care About Me, Pinellas County’s access line for mental health, substance use and addiction services, can help residents or family members of individuals in non-crisis find local services. Call or text 1-888-431-1998 or chat in on careaboutme.org to confidentially speak with an experienced behavioral health specialist who will triage needs and help get an appointment scheduled with a local provider.
- Residents who need help cleaning up damage can request assistance through the Crisis Cleanup at (844) 965-1386 or by visiting crisiscleanup.org. There are currently 1,056 cases submitted in Pinellas County. Local voluntary relief organizations will respond to these requests.
- Residents needing disaster assistance, including cleanup kits, can contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or Red Cross App.
- If you have questions about available resources, Pinellas County residents should call the County Information Center (CIC). Call 727-464-4333, Monday-Friday: 8 am – 6 pm.
I hope you find these resources helpful and, as always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
Jennifer Renner, B.Sc., CPM (she/her)
Interim Director – Community Outreach & Volunteer Program Manager
Animal Services – Pinellas County Government
12450 Ulmerton Rd – Largo, FL 33774
jrenner@pinellas.gov office 727-582-2636