Amber Young-Parker walked into Alachua County Humane Society’s shelter Thursday and asked for a cat — any cat.
Young-Parker, 44, went home with a 2-year-old cat named Carmilla, one of more than 100 animals available at the shelter to be taken home before Hurricane Irma hits Florida this weekend. The humane society, Gainesville Pet Rescue Inc. and Helping Hands Pet Rescue waived adoption fees for adult cats and dogs Thursday and Friday. About 41 animals were fostered since Wednesday.
“The goal is to empty our shelter as much as possible,” said Margot DeConna, the director of development for ACHS. “We want to ensure we have space to take in animals that require shelter from the storm or are lost or stray.”
Any remaining animals at Gainesville Pet Rescue and Helping Hands Pet Rescue will be transported to ACHS, the largest and safest of the facilities, to weather the hurricane, DeConna said. ACHS can normally hold 200 animals but will house 100 more in an emergency.
DeConna said although adoption is a lifelong commitment, fostering a pet requires about two weeks of caring for the animal.
“Fostering is an excellent way to dip your toes into pet ownership and give (a) pet a safe place to stay in an emergency,” DeConna said.
ACHS will be open for adoptions and fostering Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and will be closing Saturday and Sunday to prepare for the storm.
Young-Parker, a mother of two, frequently volunteers with the shelter and has been fostering animals for the last two years, so she knew they would be in need with the storm approaching.
“I just know they needed extra hands, and I think it’s better for the animals to ride out a storm in a home instead of here in the shelter,” Young-Parker said. “I told them just tell me who you need me to take.”
Gainesville resident Amber Young-Parker, 44, holds her new foster cat, Carmilla, at the Alachua County Humane Society. Young-Parker is fostering the cat for two weeks to help the shelter before Hurricane Irma.
