Florida Officials: Worst Case of Animal Cruelty - More Than 50 Animals Found Tied to Trees as Irma Approaches

West Palm Beach, Florida  -- Officials are calling it animal cruelty like they've never seen before.

As Hurricane Irma’s outer bands inch closer to Florida, animal control officers said they are hustling to rescue abandoned animals.

And these aren't pets who are just being left inside, Director of Animal Care Diane Suave said.

“They are left in a yard, in a pen they cannot escape from or tethered to trees or poles,” she said.

Palm Beach County Animal Care reports animal control officers have rescued 49 dogs and two cats in the last 48 hours.

“Even a tiny bit of sand can hurt an animal when it’s traveling through 100-plus mph winds,” Sauve said.

Animal control officers were slowly pulled off the road at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Sauve said once winds reach a sustained 35 mph, no officers will be permitted to rescue animals.

“We are asking the public, if it is safe, consider sheltering any animals you see left outside,” she said.

Both Sauve and State Attorney Dave Aronberg said they promise to prosecute anyone who left their animals outside to fend for themselves during Hurricane Irma.

“This is a prime example of animal cruelty,” Aronberg said. “We will find you, and we will prosecute you.”

Sauve said officials will use every paper trail imaginable to track down animal cruelty offenders.

“It’s unconscionable,” she said. “We will not stand for it here in Palm Beach County.”

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Palm Beach County Animal Care and the State Attorney's Office: Owners Who Abandoned Animals During Irma Will Face Felony Charges

Meteorologists warned of 100-mile-per-hour winds and severe flooding, but when Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida last weekend, long-gone owners had left dozens of dogs tied up outside to weather the storm frightened and alone.

Now, Palm Beach County Animal Care and the State Attorney's Office are hunting down the people who abandoned their pets during the dangerous hurricane, leaving them not even indoors but chained to trees and even cars.

"They are left in a yard, in a pen they cannot escape from or tethered to trees or poles," Diane Sauve, head of Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, told WPTV. Leaving a dog tied up alone is already illegal in the region, but the added danger of the storm qualifies the act as a felony, officials say.

"This is a prime example of animal cruelty," said Dave Aronberg, the state prosecutor for Palm Beach County. "We will find you, and we will prosecute you." While finding these negligent owners will prove a challenge, authorities are working on gathering as much evidence as possible. Sauve stated that they will use every paper trail imaginable to track them down.

PBC animal control officers saved at least 49 dogs and two cats in the lead-up to Irma's arrival, ABC Action News reported, with many more possibly inaccessible to rescuers. In addition to the abandoned pets, the shelter is also working on finding homes for the surrendered dogs and cats relinquished by their owners.

With their facility full with over 100 animals, Palm Beach County Animal Care is currently waiving adoption fees and making fostering even easier. The group is also sending dozens of dogs and cats up north to other shelters to make room for the influx of pets impacted by Irma.

If you'd like to help, the shelter is currently requesting people donate crates, animal carriers and collars, which can be purchased and sent through Amazon. Better yet, consider registering as a foster home. You'll gain a new animal friend and free up space in a shelter for another pet to take its place.

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