All animals had to leave, too, Terry-Wolfe said. And all animals encompassed not just dogs and cats, but pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, rabbits, parrots, finches, parakeets, peacocks, horses, a ferret and one cow. The animals were transported to shelters around the state. Some went to Jacksonville, some to Marion County and other destinations at least an hour away. By July 8, volunteers from around the state, as well as local cattlemen with large trailers, had brought back the animals.
Animals can t help themselves and so people feel compelled to do that.
What made this maneuver unique was its timing. Transporting the pets had to be done during nighttime hours, when high temperatures and heavy smoke were somewhat lessened. The volunteers are now working to reunite pets with owners and are making some 300 phone calls a day to locate them. Some pet owners who lost their homes couldn't reclaim their animals. A few others simply didn't bother.