Pets Line The Halls Of Naval Hospital As Hurricane Florence Rages

 

Pet-parents everywhere know how difficult it can be to leave a pet home alone. Leaving a pet, during category-4 hurricane Florence is probably totally out of the question for most families.

 

On top of that, imagine being pregnant and very near your due date when evacuations are ordered. Luckily, many hospitals continue to operate their Labor & Delivery units and serve as emergency shelters for pregnant women. 

 

What do those families do with their fur-babies while they head to the hospital for safety? 

 

Fortunately, for patients of Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, NC pets are welcome to come along for the stay. They’ll be able to ride-out Hurricane Florence with their parents and possibly welcome a new sibling. 

 

It has also been reported that an entire hallway of the hospital is dedicated for the hospital staff's pets.

 

 

Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune released a statement encouraging expectant mothers to evacuate if they were ordered to do so. While the hospital states that their facility should be used only as a last resort, they did compile a list of high-risk patients. That list included women who were classified as very high-risk pregnancies and those at least 37+ weeks along in their pregnancy, they were contacted by their providers. Those who chose to go to the hospital were to be accepted by Wednesday, September 12. 

 

Within the statement, the hospital included an evacuation checklist and explicitly addressed the care of family pets, 

 

"If you are classified within the above criteria, you and your family members may shelter at NMCCL no earlier than Wednesday, September 12. A more definitive timeframe for admitting expectant patients for shelter will be released in the coming day. Pets will be placed along the hallway near the gym on the first floor. PETS MUST BE IN A KENNEL OR CRATE. Please bring all necessary items for your pet to include: confirmation of rabies vaccination, drinking water/food, and any medications."

 

As hurricane Florence rages on, we’ll continue to update this developing story.