HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Hillsborough County has opened a new special-needs shelter at the Yuengling Center, located at 12499 USF Bull Run Drive, Tampa, FL 33617, on the University of South Florida campus.
This shelter accepts pets for those with special needs. Residents seeking shelter are encouraged to make arrangements as soon as possible.
Erwin Technical College, a special-needs shelter located at 2010 E. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, is at capacity and is now closed.
In the news: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis To Give Update On Hurricane Ian At 11 PM
Below is the list of shelters currently open to residents:
General Population Shelters
- Burnett Middle, 1010 N Kingsway Rd., Seffner (Pet-friendly)
- Durant High School, 4748 Cougar Path, Plant City (Pet-friendly)
- Lockhart Elementary, 3719 N 17th St., Tampa
- Middleton High School, 4801 N 22nd St., Tampa
- Newsome High School, 16550 Fishhawk Blvd., Lithia
- Pizzo Elementary, 11701 Bull Run, Tampa
- Reddick Elementary, 325 West Lake Dr., Wimauma
- Sickles High School, 7950 Gunn Highway, Tampa (Pet-friendly)
- Steinbrenner High School, 5575 W. Lutz Lake Fern Rd., Lutz (Pet-friendly)
- Valrico Elementary, 609 S Miller Rd., Valrico
- Benito Middle, 10101 Cross Creek Blvd., Tampa
- Boyette Springs Elementary, 10141 Sedgebrook Dr., Riverview
- Sessums Elementary, 11525 Ramble Creek Dr., Tampa
- Cypress Creek Elementary, 4040 19th Ave. NE, Ruskin
- Hammond Elementary, 8008 N. Mobley Rd., Odessa
- Jennings Middle, 9325 Govenors Rd., Seffner
- Marshall Middle, 18 S. Maryland Ave., Plant City
- Mulrennan Middle, 4215 Durant Rd., Tampa
- Nelson Elementary, 5413 Durant Rd., Tampa
- Shields Middle, 15732 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin (Pet-friendly)
- Turner Elementary, 9020 Imperial Oaks Blvd., Tampa
- Wharton High School, 20150 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa
- Bartels Middle, 9190 Imperial Oaks Blvd., Tampa (Pet-friendly)
- Barrington Middle, 5925 Village Center Dr., Lithia (Pet-friendly)
- Brandon High School, 1101 Victoria St., Brandon
- Cimino Elementary, 4329 Culbreath Rd., Valrico
- Knights Elementary, 4815 N. Keene Rd., Plant City
- Martinez Middle, 5601 W. Lutz Lake Fern Rd., Lutz
- McKitrick Elementary, 5503 Lutz Lake Fern Rd., Lutz
- Pride Elementary, 10310 Lions Den Dr., Tampa
- Smith, Sgt. Paul Middle, 14303 Citrus Pointe Dr., Tampa (Pet-friendly)
- Summerfield Elementary, 11990 Big Bend Rd., Riverview
- Tomlin Middle, 501 N. Woodrow Wilson, Plant City
- Turkey Creek Middle, 5005 Turkey Creek Rd., Plant City
- Dorothy York Innovation Academy, 5995 Covington Garden Drive, Apollo Beach
- Bevis Elementary, 5720 Osprey Ridge Dr., Lithia
- Bowers-Whitley Career Center, 13609 N. 22nd St., Tampa
- Wilson Elementary, 702 English St., Plant City
- Cannella Elementary, 10707 Nixon Rd., Tampa
Special-Needs Shelters
- Sumner High School, 10650 County Road 672, Riverview (Pet-friendly for those with special needs)
- Strawberry Crest High School, 4691 Gallagher Rd., Dover (Pet-friendly for those with special needs)
- Riverview High School, 11311 Boyette Rd., Riverview (Pet-friendly for those with special needs)
- Yuengling Center, 12499 USF Bull Run Drive, Tampa (Pet-friendly for those with special needs)
The special-needs shelters are only for residents with medical issues that require electricity assistance or have cognitive issues that would not be supported in a general population shelter.
Residents are urged to not evacuate to hospitals, as they are not shelters. Residents utilizing pet-friendly shelters should bring a sturdy carrier for each pet that allows room for the pet to stand up and move around, as well as a collar with a leash and supplies for each pet to last seven days.
More information on how residents can prepare their pets can be found here: HCFLGov.net/residents/animals-and-pets/pet-ownership/pet-disaster-planning.