If you need to evacuate your home in the event of Hurricane Milton, pet friendly shelters will be coordinated by county and local emergency management agencies. Please check with your local emergency management agency for information on pet friendly evacuation shelters in your county. Local and state health and safety regulations do not permit the Red Cross to allow pets in disaster shelters. (Service animals are allowed in Red Cross shelters). It may be difficult to find shelter for your animals in the midst of a disaster, so plan ahead. Keep a list of pet friendly hotels in your area in case you have to evacuate and your local shelter is full.
Shelter Status
This page contains summary information for currently open general and special needs shelters within the State of Florida.
Pet Friendly Evacuation Shelters in Florida Counties – Hurricane Milton
Alachua County
The following general population and pet friendly shelters are open:
Easton Newberry Sports Complex, 24880 NW 16th Ave, Newberry, FL, 32669
Martin Luther King Jr. Multipurpose Center, 1028 NE 14th St., Gainesville
Residents with pets should bring basic pet supplies (collars, leashes, crates, carriers, towels, blankets, medications, food); veterinary records indicating vaccinations (animals without such records will be vaccinated upon intake). Alachua County Animal Resources will have supplemental supplies on hand.
Brevard County
The following general population and pet friendly shelters are open:
South Mainland Community Center, 3700 Allen Ave., Micco, FL 32976
Walter Butler Community Center, 4201 N Cocoa Blvd, Cocoa, FL 32927
Wickham Park Community Center, 2815 Leisure Way, Melbourne, FL 32935
Charlotte County
All Charlotte County shelters are pet friendly. The following shelters are open:
Babcock Neighborhood Schools, 43301 Cypress Parkway
Kingsway Elementary School 23300 Quasar Blvd., Port Charlotte
Harold Ave. Regional Park Recreation Center 23400 Harold Ave., Port Charlotte
Shots and records are preferred, but you and your pets will not be turned away.
Citrus County
Oct. 9 update: The Pet Friendly shelter located at the Renaissance Center (3630 W Educational Path, Lecanto, FL 34461) is at capacity and is not accepting any additional evacuees.
Central Ridge Elementary School will now be the general population AND pet friendly. The school is located at 185 West Citrus Springs Blvd., Citrus Springs, FL 34434.
The following pet friendly shelter is open:
Renaissance Center, 3630 W Educational Path, Lecanto, FL 34461
The pet friendly shelter DOES NOT require proof of vaccinations for pets.
Citrus County Transit provides transportation at no cost to an open shelter or other safe location within Citrus County. To book transportation, please call: (352) 527-7630.
Clay County
The following pet friendly shelters will open Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m.:
Keystone Heights Elementary – 335 SW Pecan S, Keystone
Orange Park High – 2300 Kingsley Ave, Orange Park
Collier County
The following pet friendly shelters are open:
Corkscrew Middle School, 1165 Oil Well Road, Naples, Fl 34120
Cypress Palm Middle School, 4255 18th Ave N.E., Naples, FL 34120
Golden Gate Middle School, 2701 48th Terrace S.W., Naples, FL 34116
Immokalee Middle School, 401 9th Street, Immokalee, FL 34142
Oakridge Middle School, 14975 Collier Blvd., Naples, FL 34119
Pets must remain crated. The pets will not be permitted in the shelter area but will be housed in another location in the school.
DeSoto County
The following general population and pet friendly shelter is open:
DeSoto County Middle School, 420 E Gibson St, Arcadia, FL 34266
Duval County
The following pet friendly shelters are open:
Atlantic Coast High School, 9735 R. G. Skinner Parkway
Landmark Middle School, 101 Kernan Blvd. N
The Legends Center, 5130 Soutel Dr.
Escambia County
The following pet friendly shelter is open:
Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. in downtown Pensacola
The Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare will provide assistance with managing pet sheltering operations.
Flagler County
The following pet friendly shelter is open:
Rymfire Elementary School, 1425 Rymfire Drive, Palm Coast
This pet-friendly shelter has a section for General Population as well as people with special medical needs. The shelter will also accommodate residents who are from an area under an evacuation order and have no other place to go. Dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, rodents and turtles – are the allowed pets. There is a four-pet maximum. Pet owners should bring current vaccination records and supplies, including crates/cages, and medications.
Gilchrist County
The following general population and pet friendly shelter is open:
Bell High School Gym, 930 S Main Street, Bell, FL 32619
For pets: crate, food, water, up-to-date vaccination records, and medications.
Hardee County
The following general population and pet friendly shelter is open:
Hardee Junior High School, 240 US Highway 17 N, Wauchula, FL 33873
You must remain with your pet at all times.
Hendry County
All of Hendry County’s evacuation shelters are pet-friendly. The following shelters are open:
LaBelle Middle School – 8000 E Cowboy Way, LaBelle, FL 33935
Clewiston High School – 1501 Francisco St. Clewiston, FL. 33440
For pets bring food and water, dishes, and a leash for bathroom breaks. Pets MUST be in a crate at all times.
Hernando County
The following pet friendly shelters are open:
Challenger K-8, 13400 Elgin Blvd, Spring Hill, FL 34609 – Special Needs Clients; General Population; Pet Friendly
West Hernando Middle School, 14325 Ken Austin Pkwy., Brooksville, FL 34614 – General Population; Pet Friendly
Enrichment Center, 800 John Gary Grubbs Blvd., Brooksville, FL 34601 – General Population; Pet Friendly
Citizens and their animals are housed in separate sections of the designated shelter(s). Designated shelters are typically Hernando County Schools. Animals will be housed in crates in a different location than where general population is located.
If you are needing the Special Needs Shelter and have a pet, transportation from either your house or shelter location for your pet is done through Animal Control with Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. Please call Hernando County Public Information Center (PIC) at 352-754-4083 to arrange pick up. The PIC is open 8am-5pm on Monday, 7am on Tuesday and then open 24/7 until further notice.
Hillsborough County
Oct. 9 update: Evacuation Shelters List
The following pet friendly shelters are open:
Burnett Middle School — general population and pet friendly — 1010 N. Kingsway Road, Seffner
Durant High — general population and pet friendly — 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City
Erwin Technical College — special-needs only and pet friendly — 2010 E. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa
Middleton High School — general population and pet friendly — 4801 N. 22nd St., Tampa
Shields Middle School — general population and pet friendly — 15732 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin
Sickles High School — general population and pet friendly — 7950 Gunn Highway, Tampa
Sumner High School — special-needs only and pet friendly — 10650 County Road 672, Riverview
Strawberry Crest High School — special-needs only and pet friendly — 4691 Gallagher Road, Dover
Steinbrenner High School, 5575 W. Lutz Lake Fern Rd., Lutz, FL 33558
Indian River County
The following pet friendly shelter is open:
Freshman Learning Center, 1507 19th St. Vero Beach
Lake County
The following pet-friendly shelters are open:
Mascotte Elementary – 460 Midway Ave., Mascotte
Round Lake Elementary – 31333 Round Lake Road, Mt. Dora
Spring Creek Elementary – 44440 Spring Creek Road, Paisley
Treadway Elementary – 10619 Treadway School Road, Leesburg
Pet-Friendly and Special-Needs Shelters:
• Leesburg Elementary – 2229 South St., Leesburg
• Lost Lake Elementary – 1901 Johns Lake Rd., Clermont
• Astatula Elementary – 13925 Florida Ave., Astatula
• Umatilla Elementary – 401 Lake St., Umatilla
• Villages Elementary – 695 Rolling Acres Rd., Lady Lake
Lee County
All shelters in Lee County are pet friendly. The following shelters are open:
Island Coast High School, 2125 DeNavarra Parkway, Cape Coral
Dunbar High School, 30 Edison St., Fort Myers
Estero Recreation Center, 9200 Corkscrew Palms Blvd., Estero
At the general population shelters, your pet(s) will remain with you, and you will be required to care for and have items needed for them.
Pets should have a three-day supply of food and water, as well as a carrier or crate, leash, waste bags, health records.
Levy County
A pet friendly shelter will open Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 8 a.m.:
Bronson Middle High School, 351 Ishie Ave, Bronson, FL 32621
Bring a crate, food, one gallon of water per animal, medications, rabies vaccine certificate and proof of distemper, parvo/feline distemper vaccine. Animal services will provide vaccines for an additional $10 per vaccine.
Manatee County
Pet friendly shelters are open at:
Mills Elementary School, 7299 69th St., Palmetto, FL 34221
Gullett Elementary School, 12125 44th Ave. E., Bradenton, FL 34211
Harvey Elementary School, 8610 115th Ave. E, Parrish, FL 34219
McNeal Elementary School, 6325 Lorraine Rd., Bradenton, FL 34202
Miller Elementary School, 601 43rd St. W, Bradenton, FL 34209
Mona Jain Middle School, 12205 44th Ave. E, Bradenton, FL 34221
Myakka City Elementary School, 37205 Manatee Ave., Myakka City, FL 34251
Nolan Middle School, 6615 Greenbrook Blvd., Bradenton, FL 34202
Sugg Middle School, 5602 38th Ave. W, Bradenton, FL 34209
Marion County
The following pet friendly shelters are open:
Lake Weir High School, 10351 SE Maricamp Road, Ocala, FL
Vanguard High School, 7 NW 28th Street, Ocala, FL
Special Needs Shelter: West Port High School, 3733 SW 80th Avenue, Ocala, FL (pets of special needs residents allowed).
Marion County Animal Services is urging pet owners to bring their own pet crates when entering a shelter.
Miami-Dade County
The following pet friendly shelter is open:
The E. Darwin Fuchs Pavilion, located at 10901 Coral Way, Miami, FL 33165, is a pet-friendly evacuation center for mobile home residents who wish to relocate.
Orange County
The following pet friendly shelters will open Oct. 8 at 6 p.m.:
Apopka High School, 555 Martin St, Apopka, FL 32712
Carver Middle School, 4500 Columbia St, Orlando, FL 32811
Colonial High School, 6100 Oleander Dr, Orlando, FL 32807
Lake Nona High School, 12500 Narcoossee Rd, Orlando, FL 32832
Odyssey Middle School, 9290 Lee Vista Blvd, Orlando, FL 32829
Union Park Middle School, 1844 Westfall Dr, Orlando, FL 32817
Osceola County
The following pet friendly shelters are open:
Gateway High School, 93 Panther Paws Trail, Kissimmee, FL 34744
Harmony High School, 3601 Arthur J. Gallagher Blvd., St. Cloud, FL 34771
Kissimmee Middle School, 2410 Dyer Blvd., Kissimmee, FL 34741
Liberty High School, 4250 Pleasant Hill Rd., Kissimmee, FL 34746
Palm Beach County
The following pet friendly shelter is open:
West Boynton Recreation Center, 6000 Northtree Blvd, Lake Worth Beach, FL 33463
Pet-Friendly Shelter requires pre-registration to ensure your furry friends have a safe place during an evacuation.
Pasco County
All shelters in Pasco County are pet friendly. The following shelters are open:
Centennial Middle School, 38505 Centennial Road, Dade City
Fivay High School, 12115 Chicago Ave., Hudson
Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel
River Ridge Middle and High Schools, 11646 Town Center Road, New Port Richey
Fasano Regional Hurricane Center — special-needs only and pet friendly — 11611 Denton Ave., Hudson
An additional shelter will be open Tuesday, October 8 at 9:00 a.m.: Sunlake High School, 3023 Sunlake Boulevard, Land O’ Lakes
Pinellas County
The following pet friendly shelters are open:
Largo High School (general population and pet friendly), 410 Missouri Ave. N., Largo
Gibbs High School (general population and pet friendly), 850 34th St. S. St. Petersburg
Palm Harbor University High School (general population and pet friendly),1900 Omaha St, Palm Harbor
Pets are allowed on the bus: cats and small dogs in a crate; large dogs on a muzzle leash. For the latest information on PSTA bus service, call the InfoLine at (727) 540-1900.
Polk County
The following pet friendly shelters are open:
Haines City High School, 2800 Hornet Dr., Haines City
Lake Region High School, 1995 Thunder Road, Eagle Lake
Tenoroc High School, 4905 Saddle Creek Road, Lakeland
Pet owners must bring shot records for their pets, an airline-approved carrying case or crate and pet food.
Putnam County
A pet friendly shelter is open at:
Ochwilla Elementary, 299 State Rd 21, Hawthorne
Sarasota County
All of Sarasota County’s evacuation shelters are pet friendly. The following shelters are open:
Atwater Elementary School, 4701 Huntsville Ave., North Port, FL 34288
Booker High School, 3201 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota, FL 34234
Brookside Middle School, 3636 South Shade Ave., Sarasota, FL 34239
CLOSED: Fruitville Elementary School, 601 Honore Ave., Sarasota, FL 34232
Gulf Gate Elementary School, 6500 S. Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota, FL 34231
Heron Creek Middle School, 6501 W. Price Blvd., North Port, FL 34291
North Port High School, 6400 West Price Blvd., North Port, FL 34291
Phillippi Shores Elementary, 4747 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FL 34231
CLOSED: Riverview High School, 1 Ram Way, Sarasota, FL 34231
Southside Elementary School, 1901 Webber Street, Sarasota, FL 34239
CLOSED: Taylor Ranch Elementary 2500 Taylor Ranch Trail, Venice, FL 34293
Woodland Middle School, 2700 Panacea Blvd., North Port, FL 34289
St. Johns County
A pet friendly shelter is open at:
South Woods Elementary School, 4750 State Road 206 West, Elkton
Volusia County
The following pet friendly shelters will open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9:
Deland High School, 800 N. Hill Ave., Deland
Mainland High School, 1255 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach
Volusia County Fairgrounds, 3150 E. New York Ave., Deland
More information on pet friendly evacuation shelters
